


The Fedrova Girl

by Gumdrop_lou



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Competitive Dance - Freeform, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, Good Parent Grace Hargreeves, Lila is a somewhat good friend, Not Beta Read, Pogo is tired of Reggie's bullshit, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Teen Angst, The white violin is adapting, Time-travelling-kinda, Vanya Hargreeves-centric, Vanya goes to highschool, Vanya's power will not be stopped by mere pills., honestly tags will appear as I go, rebellious vanya, self-indulgent fic, she ditches the violin though, suggest fiveya at times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:21:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27044923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gumdrop_lou/pseuds/Gumdrop_lou
Summary: Vanya is sent to a private high school away from the family and chaos ensues. Five is not happy and Allison's jealous, Luther and Diego are in a somewhat good relationship, while Ben and Klaus are just chilling in the back.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Luther Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy/Vanya Hargreeves
Comments: 48
Kudos: 279





	1. Reggie has no chill

**Author's Note:**

  * For [263Adder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/263Adder/gifts).



> This is prolly gunna suck, I'm sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came from a prompt idea by 263Adder, check out her works cuz she's got some amazing fiveya stories!  
> The Fedrova girl was inspired by Leyden Jar btw. She's super talented and I'm so happy that she had given me a chance to do my own spin on her wonderful idea:> I can't thank her enough! I hope I did your idea justice :> Thank you, thank you again.

"Remember, number seven." Reginald Hargreeves sat at the other end of his desk, eyes not even looking at the mousy girl in front of him who had decided to hide behind the thin veil of her bangs - afraid of what he might say to her when he noticed the red rimming of her big brown eyes.

"Stay out of trouble, keep your grades high and do not, NOT in any circumstance, ever mention your connection to the Umbrella Academy." 

"Yes, Dad." she mumbled, biting the inside of her cheek. Her voice was so soft that her father looked up from his work and glared at her from the monocle he always seemed to wear. 

Vanya always thought the thing belonged to the eighteen-hundred's (the monocle, not her father but it wouldn't be wrong to categorize him as one because of his traditional way of raising them - hint the sarcasm) but her father liked to be perceived as the billionaire-old-money gentleman, enough that he purchased a monocle just to complete the whole aesthetic.

"What was that?" He demanded, his voice stern. "Speak up number seven or is your tongue as useless as yourself?"

The harsh sneer on his face was enough to make her lips quiver but she wasn't one to surrender, not after he embarrassed her at the breakfast table -nothing new of course but there was just something wrong about your father informing the rest of your siblings, who were already so full of themselves- that their designated younger, extra-ordinary sister was to be sent to a school because she was unable to "keep up" with the workload of being in the same classroom as six other gifted children, who were in his words, "too _advanced in their studies that waiting for her to keep up was wasting the time and resources of the Academy."_

It was unfair of course! Vanya was the best when it came to studies, surpassing even Five at times because he had way too little patience for English or Ben who needed guidance when solving maths, Klaus, who most of time was physically there but was way too drugged up to even pay attention, Luther and Diego who spent most of their time one-upping each other than actually learning and Allison who'd rather read romance novels or make moon-eyes at Luther instead.

More often than not, she was the only steady pupil of their robot mother Grace, who she might add said SHE was becoming way too advanced for HER SIBLINGS.

She was actually getting good at something dammit! even better than playing that stupid violin that she could never seem to master. Was all that Grace said, all " _t_ _he good job Vanya," "Vanya, you're getting so good" or "the keep that up and your siblings might even have to catch up to **you**_ "all fake?

Were they just empty words to comfort a lonely worthless child who was mediocre at best at anything?, even academics? the only thing she was actually permitted to do aside from learning the violin?

She couldn't believe it, yet the way they all stared at her with pitying looks and faux sympathy stabbed a knife laced with anger right through her. Embarrassment and hurt burned the soft muscles of her heart - something that not even her meds were able to suppress.

It hurt so bad, like the insides of her lungs were being squeezed out as she tried to even her breathing and keep the stinging tears from her eyes from escaping and making a thin line down her face.

She wasn't going to cry, not in front of them especially not in front of him. Despite her fear of looking at the cold-unfeeling man, someone that should have loved them, cared for them, not turn them into weapons at such an early age, she raises her big brown eyes and pushes the urge to burst out in tears to the back of her head.

He's already seen her as weak, it wouldn't do any good if he's proven right. Vanya pretends that her knees don't tremble or the heat from her neck isn't creeping up her face and swallows the lump in her throat as big as a softball.

"Yes Dad."

"Good, dismissed. Tell the others that training will begin shortly, thirty-minutes will be added due to you wasting my time." the scraping of a pen against paper grates against her sensitive ears. "Now get out!"

Typical, of course, it's her fault. Even if Reginald was the one who called her to berate her for ten minutes, of course it's her fault.

Stupid, weak Number seven.

She wanted to shout at him, ask him why he was doing this, to her and to her siblings. They were only children but the amount of psychological, emotional and at times physical abuse that happened in this house could scar anyone for a lifetime.

She could almost see Allison's pretty eyes glaring at her from under the mascara coated eyelashes she has now taken an interest in, being Dad's golden girl, she could have anything and if she didn't, she'd easily rumor her way to it. She remembered a time when they were so close, considering that they were the only girls in the house but after their powers started manifesting, it was like a switch was flipped and suddenly she was tossed under the rug for newer shinier toys (Luther). 

Her relationship with her other siblings was lousy at best, Diego and Luther who keep competing against each other too much to notice her, Klaus who's getting deeper into his drugs and Ben who, she admits she has a better relationship with but ultimately prefers Klaus. No surprise there since those two had the most difficult time in controlling their powers, one having a portal somewhere in his stomach region that could summon an eldritch while the other basically could commune with the dead. All of which greatly messed them up.

Klaus was nice to her at least but she wasn't sure if it was the drugs making him do it.

Then there's Five, her best friend and her sole confidant. The only person who didn't go by their father's example of excluding her - he was always nice to her, keeping her company when he wasn't training and if he was up to it - defended her from her "older" siblings' scathing words. It made her feel special in a way - having someone notice her and dare she say it even considering her his best friend too.

An ugly voice in her head kept telling her that the only reason he was putting up with timid, ordinary Vanya was because she was pathetic and craved even a sliver of attention - so much so that she agreed with anything he said.

Vanya waved the thought away, Five was her friend and she wouldn't take his kindness for granted.

She always knew her father had a particular dislike for her but she didn't expect it to go this far. 

Vanya walked out of the study, nearly dragging her feet as she made her way to the living room where her siblings were waiting. As usual Luther was making heart-eyes at Allison who was sitting on the couch opposite of them, Diego on another one next to Ben - who was reading another novel - furling and unfurling a switchblade while Klaus was as usual smiling a little too widely at the moose-head mounted on the mantle-piece.

Five was the only one to nod his head at her in greeting.

Taking a deep-breath she steeled herself and said in what she thinks was a casual tone, "Dad's ready for you now, and uhm...training has been extended for an extra thirty-minutes."

Cue the groans of frustration. As expected Allison rolled her eyes and threw an immaculate dark curl behind her, dusted off her green training uniform and passed by her with not so much a look in her direction.

It hurt, really. Being ignored by your siblings as if you weren't there at all. 

Heaving in a sigh. ' _Suppose she's used to it now'_ \- the sting is not as painful as it was when it first began. Others filed out after her in a quiet parade. Ben was kind enough to give her a small smile while Five stopped to squeeze her shoulder.

"He's not actually serious about this." He stated but Vanya only gave him a sad smile. The greenish-blue of his eyes softened slightly but his resolve was stronger than ever.

"I'll convince him not to," Five promised, jaw-set and eyes firm. "He can't do this to you, you belong here with us."

"It's sweet of you to say Five." Vanya mumbled. "But not even you can annoy him enough to make him change his mind."

"Still..."

"It's fine, really...Now go to training before Luther drags you there himself."

Gesturing to the hall where the rest of their siblings disappeared to. 

"He couldn't drag me anywhere unless it was my cold dead body."

This made her giggle, as if on cue Luther's booming voice came from the the one end of the house - telling him to hurry up.

He gave her one final smirk before jumping to where Luther was shouting from.

Vanya fixed the lapel of her shirt and sought out Grace, who she was told had a list of her "do's and don'ts," along with her new identity.

She found her robot mother in one of the guest rooms dusting off invisible dirt from the unused areas of the house. As always she had the whole 50's outfit, a white long-sleeved blouse and pink polka-dot skirt, and on her neck was a string of pearls with her lips painted a vivid red, looking every bit like the Stepford wife Reginald created her to be. 

"Hi, mom."

The woman in question looks up from where she was dusting a cabinet and smiles in that unnatural disarming way she always did. The sunshine from the window reflected on her perfect blonde hair making a halo of light around her head. Grace always looked so put together and there was a time when she wanted to be like her before she found out the woman was a robot, made to give them a semblance of a somewhat normal family life as to not make them dysfunctional adults in the future but in her opinion they were way past that.

When she thinks about it now, Vanya can't remember a time when Grace wasn't with them. Five always told her she appeared around the time they were four but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't grasp the exact memory when Grace started taking care of them, the best she could have was a foggy wisp of a kitchen and a loud crack. 

A slice of pain stopped her from digging further into it, as if preventing her from seeing something she shouldn't be seeing.

"Hello Vanya, how are you this morning?" Mom chirped happily. "Pogo has told me that you have been transferred to a special High school?"

But of course, Reginald Hargreeves was too busy to even tell his robot caretaker himself that some changes were to be made pertaining to the most useless member of the household.

"Yes, that's actually what I'm here for mom." Vanya played with the end of her skirt, too ashamed to look into her eyes. "Dad said you have the information needed for my cover?"

Grace was still for a moment, the literal gear in her brain spinning before she nodded, still smiling, of course. "Ah, yes. let me just finish this and we'll discuss it in your room." 

With a small smile towards her, Vanya hurried off to her room at the end of the hall. She tried to stifle the unfamiliar emotion bubbling inside her as she passed the bigger and more furnished rooms of her other siblings, evidently she was also too insignificant to have a room with a little more space. At least she was given a bed and a desk but at the price of a closet, she had to keep all her belongings in a neat pile under her bed and since Reginald only tolerated nothing but perfection, any uniform she planned to wear would hang on a single hanger by the door knob so as to not wrinkle it for the next day.

Sometimes she'd ask Five if she could share his closet, and when it's not filled too much with his insurmountable notebooks filled with equations. Ben would help if he was up to it at times. As soon as she opened the door her eyes zeroed in on an unfamiliar school uniform lying on top of her plain white covers. It was the same as the Academy; white-short-sleeved blouse and a black skirt that reached past her knees while instead of a tie it had a thin strip of black ribbon and a thin cardigan alongside a black blazer - both of which were lined with a red fabric. There were no crests, no Greek phrases, _no indication of where she was going._

Did her father plan to send her to a boarding school? away from her family?

"So, what do you think of your new uniform?" 

Vanya jumped back, letting go of the soft cardigan she was inspecting. Grace smiled, sauntering inside to fix its position on the bed. Displaying each article of clothing clearly for her to see.

"It's very..." looking for a proper word, "Monochromatic."

Grace gave a musical laugh. "Well the school believes in honing the artistic prowess of a student more than having a stylish uniform. "

Vanya tilted her head, a confused expression on her face. 

"Dad's not sending me away is he?"

"Goodness, NO. Your school is located just downtown dear, hardly going away."

Vanya wasn't convinced but she let it go. Taking her silence as permission to continue, Grace sat on the bed and patted the space beside her in a friendly manner. The springs on the bed pushed down at the sudden pressure. 

"Your father has assigned me to handle everything that pertains to your schooling, whatever you may need should be relayed to me, is that alright Vanya?" 

She nodded. 

"Good, next, classes will begin at 8;00 a.m. sharp so we'll have to leave at least 7:45 each day and will end at 3 in the afternoon, I will also be in charge of picking you up and getting you to school. Sir Reginald has also allowed you one extra-curricular activity for you to take part in and as well as to not make too many connections as it would mean too many security risks for you."

_(Tanslation: One friend max)_

If it was possible for Grace to feel anything other than happiness, Vanya thought she heard a hint of sadness as she said the last part. 

"Oh, I understand."

But Vanya did not understand.

* * *

She sat between Klaus and Five, with Five excitedly prattling on about how he was on the brink of figuring out time-traveling and that all he needed was the go - a signal from their father to attempt the jump. She nodded absent-mindedly at the numbers he kept spitting out, as well as the theories he thought would help better explain to her how it was all going to work - she loved Five, _really she did_ but this had been his obsession since they were toddlers.

She had long since accepted the fact that the only way they were ever getting out of there was not by his powers but instead the big number 1 and 8 printed neatly on their files. They all had plans to leave, it was only a few more years after all. She knew Allison was planning on moving to L.A. to become an actress, and Klaus and Ben were going to college (Ben was more likely to though). Diego had dropped a police academy pamphlet on the floor once and Luther looked as if he never wanted to leave. 

Vanya and Five were still undecided, but she couldn't imagine staying idle for so long. Five would probably get a scholarship considering his above average I.Q. if they could look past the endless drop that was his ego. She imagined an older Five, maybe a few years from now arguing with his professors while the rest of his classmates rolled their eyes but begrudgingly accepted that he was right in whatever argument he was spewing about. 

While her? maybe get into a few courses, maybe get a degree in musical theory and get a job as a teacher in a high school.

"Are you okay there Vanny?" Klaus inquired, bumping his shoulder with hers as he had his head down on the table with his face turned towards her in a dopey smile.

The lapels of his standard blazer from his Academy uniform were in disarray, her hand itched to fix it but Klaus and her weren't close in that way that she could go up into his space. Even though people might see Klaus as the weakest member (his drug use did not help), he was still trained in combat and she for one did not want to have her hand twisted behind her back like what happened to Diego a few months ago - he needed to get his bones re-set.

"I'm fine." "She said, The corners of her eyes tight. "Five just had too much energy at times."

Klaus snorted. "I can imagine."

"So how do you feel about getting out of this?" he stretched his arms, the cracking of his bones making Vanya wince and gestured to the school room. 

"I'm still trying to figure it out honestly."

"You're lucky, you know?"

"And why is that?"

"You get to get away from all this."

She wanted to disagree, even if she wanted to get away from the hell-hole that was this house - it wouldn't be the same without her siblings. They were the only people she knew and up until this point, at least she knew how to act here unlike being in a whole new environment with people she had no idea how to approach.

_Things could get worse..._

_or it could get better..._

After a moment of thought she decided to just agree with him, just like she always does when asked by anyone in this house. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Her brother made a noise and tucked his head back into his arms, dismissing her from the conversation. She looked around the classroom, the big green board, the three long tables for the students, an art station , and the bookshelves at the back of the room. 

This was her whole world for the past fifteen years, where she stayed when the others went and had amazing adventures - the place where she spent so many hours alone with mom or Pogo when Reginald wasn't there, learning from the greatest teachers she knew. It angered her, the thick coil in her belly tightening at the prospect of being kicked out again for just being _her._

The fire burned deep inside her while she struggled to put it out, and it wasn't like her to feel this much for a long time. She had a feeling that her body was slowly becoming immune to the medicine she was being given, but her pride (what little she had of it) wanted to see where it would go and what chaos would ensue just for the heck of it - maybe then the family would pay attention to her.

 _Stop it_

Vanya wasn't that desperate, this was purely to find out what would happen, she hadn't had an anxiety attack in a while - scratch that she had never experienced one before but somehow her "childhood" affliction was rooted to it. It sounded like a load of bull but it was easier to accept it rather than fight or else she had to bear the shame of being held down while Grace force-fed her the pill.

"I guess this is your last day with us, huh?" Diego's voice came from the other table. He wasn't looking at her but there was a thoughtful look on his face with his brows creased. 

"I guess it is." Vanya mumbled, looking down to play with the end of her skirt.

"You _have_ to tell me everything Vanya!" Allison said, but there was an odd tinged to her voice and the smile she gave her was a borderline grimace. "School outside sounds amazing! imagine the people you'll meet."

_She hated meeting people._

"The stuff you'll learn"

_She already knew enough from the Academy_

"Being _outside_ "

_She's an indoors type of person_

The end was almost an accusation. Vanya bit the inside of her cheek and said nothing, avoiding any confrontation with any of them. No matter how she wanted to tell them that she'd rather stay here, they wouldn't believe her. 

"Yeah, at least now we won't have to worry about you being hurt, if the Academy were to be attacked." Luther added thoughtfully, hand scratching under his chin.

_That's actually kind of nice, thanks Luther._

"I mean we would be making ourselves vulnerable if some of the villains find out about you, you'll weigh us down." 

_Spoke too soon._

_"_ Way to be honest, Diego." Five snarked, glaring at his brother. Diego curled his lip.

"Well it's true, even Vanya knows this."

"Yeah, but that doesn't make it any less hurtful, asshole. You of all people should know what it feels like to be put down right to your face"

"Five, I'm warning you..."

"What? you'll throw your little knives at me?"

Diego got up, getting ready for the fight to get physical while Five, not one to back down ignited his powers, the crackling of energy surrounding his hands an electric blue. She tried to tug at his coat sleeves, trying to get him to back down.

Before they could lounge at each other, the alarm bell rang loudly, breaking apart the two from most likely ruining the whole classroom.

"Break it up you two, there's an emergency."

As they all jumped up to get to their uniform, Vanya ignored the pain in her chest as she was reminded that she wasn't like them, and will never be like them. Once again, she's the only one left at the table.

Mom entered the room ten minutes later, walking up to the board, ready to teach her Basic Calculus. But as she stared at the numbers being drawn on the board she kept repeating what Diego said, _"You'll weigh us down_ ."

Vanya knew this, of course, and that's what has been communicated to her verbally and non-verbally for years. 

Vanya ate dinner alone that night, the mission taking longer for the Umbrella Academy to handle. Last she heard there was a super villain somewhere around Boston and they had taken Dad's miracle traveling thinga-majig to get there. It was awkward to say the least, Grace was hovering just beside her as she ate her peas and chicken. At times like these she wished she was permitted to have dinner in her room, it wouldn't be much different from the silence she was enduring here.

"Mom? do you want to sit down?" she asked. Her robot mother shook her head gracefully.

"It's alright dear, I'm fine where I'm at."

 _Alright_ _then,_

"What time do you think they'll be back?"

"Around midnight, if my calculations are correct. Pogo called to say that the Governor was holding a "Thank you" banquet for them."

"Oh, I hope they bring back cake."

* * *

They _did not in fact bring cake._

It was around half-past twelve when Five blinked into her room, hair still damp and wearing his pajamas. The bags under his eyes were large while his left arm was bandaged tightly. 

"Five are you alright!"

She threw back her covers, lowering her voice enough that Grace wouldn't get suspicious and check on her. They were supposed to be asleep and since finding Allison and Luther together in a room, one time when they were thirteen, Reggie made it his life's mission to ensure that no boy or girl were alone together in one room. Five, of course, didn't care; he's been doing it for years already. Vanya could count on one hand the times he slept in his own bed instead of hers. Luther and Allison could never sneak around as well as they did.

"Just got into a little trouble." He mumbles, sitting down at the end of her bed while cradling his injured arm.

"Work hazard." Vanya said for him as she sat up and pulled back her covers. Five slid in next to her, taking care that his arm wasn't jostled too much. 

"As always."

Vanya leaned her head back on the base-head of the bed. The metal poles indented themselves on her back while the cold bite of the night air from her open window made a shiver run up her spine. Five put an uninjured arm around her shoulder as they stared into the closed door on the other end of the bed, waiting for any indication of Grace doing her nightly rounds before returning to the Gallery to re-charge. 

When that didn't happen, Vanya leaned to his side, smelling the scent of his minty shampoo while her arms went around his lean waist. Five didn't mind of course, they were comfortable with each other. 

"He's going to end up killing one of you someday, I swear." She whispered under his chin, her unruly brown hair no doubt annoying him. 

"Morbid but fair, he's pushing Ben too far these days." Five shared, nuzzling his face in her hair like a little housecat. "Like messing up Klaus wasn't enough now he's fixating himself on Ben."

"He's a horrible dad, isn't he?"

"A horrible dad AND horrible person you mean."

The rain started falling as the air became colder, magnified by the open window but neither of them made a move to close it. A streak of lightning went across the sky and a gust of wind made her white draperies fly with the strength it carried.

"Did you and Diego fix it up?" She inquired. The wind was getting stronger, she'll have to close the windows soon but her little warm cocoon with Five was too tempting to leave.

When he didn't answer she looked up at him, catching the hard glint of his blue-green eyes. 

"What's there to fix?"

"Five..."

"I mean it Vanya, he's been a dick to everyone - for a long time already. It's time we don't let it go and let him have a taste of his own medicine."

"Five he's our brother." She tried to reason out, trying to get him to look at her.

"Yeah, well he's much like a brother to us as Reggie's been a father." He stated. "He treats you like shit Vanya, he treats everyone who isn't mom like shit."

"He might but he's still our brother, please just fix-it. If not for you but for our family's sake."

Five looked down at her, an odd expression on his face, eyes darting from her eyes to her mouth before settling on her eyes. Vanya suddenly felt hot as she tried to steady out the hastening of her heart, hoping Five didn't hear it beating nearly out of her chest.

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything." 

This made her smile. "Thanks, I feel guilty for being there, If only I hadn't come to lessons then you wouldn't have gone to blows. I'm a big girl now Five, I should learn to defend myself, especially now that I'm going to _school."_

Odd for her to say that, the Academy was everything to her, house (boarding school), training ground and an (evil) scientist's lair. To say that she was attending anywhere other than here was very disconcerting. She unwound her arms on Five and sat up, side by side with him, their shoulders leaning against each other. 

"I can still convince him, Vanya." he said softly.

She didn't say anything, instead she closed her windows and pulled him into the bed, embracing him tightly as they slept to the sound of the pouring rain pounding against the glass window. Tomorrow is another day, for now they need sleep.


	2. Fiorella High School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever heard of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High? get ready for Fiorella High School of the Arts!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH! I can't believe people actually took the time to read this:> Thanks to everyone who left kudos and comments on the previous chapter! It means so much to me, (literally cannot stop smiling)
> 
> No, I am not a doctor and No, you shouldn't drink 2 and a half pills for the fun of it, heck you shouldn't even swallow stuff that isn't subscription. On that note, happy reading.

Vanya Fedrova...

**_VANYA FEDROVA!_ **

_vanya fedrova?_

Vanya Fedrova.

She stared at the piece of paper Grace had given her to read on the way to her new school, testing out the name in her mind. 

_Vanya Fedrova_

It seemed so foreign to her, half her life she was called Number Seven and until recently that changed to Vanya Hargreeves. It was confusing to say the least, Vanya felt like she was three different people, doing the exact same thing but one completely different from the other. Number seven was a doped up child, Vanya Hargreeves was a tired teen who was still figuring herself out - while Vanya Fedrova...she had no idea who this person was. Now, she had to pretend to be her 9 hours a day.

It was so _odd_

She also didn't know how to feel about the name on the fine print. Vanya hadn't thought about her birth family in a long time. From what little information she could squeeze out of Pogo, Vanya was the hardest to attain among the children. Considering how large Russia is and the number of births on that fateful day in 1989, Sir Reginald went on a wild goose chase for a child that wasn't worth the trouble.

Her birthmother was Tatiana Fedrova, a teen from the outskirts of Moscow who gave birth to her in a public pool. Tatiana came from a middle-class, close-knit family and according to the records, almost didn't want to let her go, so Reggie did what Reggie does best, filled out a check and it was a done deal.

Since then the thought of the russian woman who gave her away to a cold hearted-bastard was evicted to the darkest corners of her mind. Focusing on the reality of her militaristic upbringing rather than dreaming about a _warm smile, a family room full of hearty laughter and a mother who loved her with all her heart._

She should feel sad but for the life of her, she couldn't muster up any emotion to care enough. Her brain felt heavy as she tried to dredge up all her old feelings towards her mother when she found out about her a few years ago. Digging deep into her heart to feel something - _anything_ but she just can't.

There was crying, that much she could remember. 

Vanya dropped the paper on her lap, hands going up to massage her temple. It was the first day of normal school and she felt like a zombie, _great, just great_. The drugs were taking a toll on her, and before she left Pogo had informed her that her usual dose was upped to two and a half-pills to help her adjust to her new environment. 

Her brain felt as if it was being stirred by a heavy-duty whisk while her eyes felt prickly and hot, her previous dose was only one pill at breakfast and dinner, so this was a big adjustment.

 _'the least they could do was give_ _me a few days,'_ she thought bitterly, leaning her head on the tinted windows and observing the hustle and bustle of the city she has lived in all her life but has never explored.

Vanya closed her eyes and tried to control the nervousness pooling in her belly. Grace was extra chipper this morning when she woke her up at 6:30, reminding her to get ready for school as she nearly threw Five off the bed in shock. He wasn't too amused and pouted about it for a good minute before blinking out of the room. Vanya smiled a bit remembering him stabbing his oatmeal this morning, a prominent frown on his face.

"We're nearly there, Vanya." Grace looked at her through the mirror, breaking her reverie: "Are you excited?'

Vanya was ready to hurl out her breakfast. "Absolutely mom, very excited."

This earned her a wide smile.

The car suddenly turned a corner and Vanya had to grip the arm-rest in fear, Grace didn't seem fazed, in fact the robotic smile she had on was borderline psychotic. They entered a busy avenue with numerous motorists passing to and from a large gated building up ahead. She leaned forward and noticed most of the vehicles that passed them were very expensive models, all glossy black or icy gray. 

Wherever they were, it was somewhere expensive. 

"Welcome to Fiorella High school for the Arts." 

The school contrasted greatly from the modern setting it sat upon. It had a high ornate gate with the name of the school, and there were numerous students walking towards the entrance. Some were in pairs, others either on a bike or being dropped off by a driver. From what she could see, the main building was an old manor with two visible buildings scattered on either side. A lush, green, well-tended field just behind it. There was a fountain in front of the main hall that they were approaching and a cobblestone path littered with benches. The whole estate was magnificent - putting even the Academy to shame. 

It was like being blasted back into the past. Her mouth hung open as she ran her fingers through her hair - trying to smoothen it out as much as possible. Grace parked in a small lot right beside the gym, the car giving out a soft purr before shutting down. Despite the medicine disorienting her senses, she still had half her wits to note that she was far from her comfort zone. This wasn't the Academy where she could just put on her uniform and brush her bangs then call it a day, she had to fix-up her appearance lest she draw attention to herself.

"Well, we're here." Grace smiles, pulling off her seatbelt. She turned to Vanya and whispered. "Do you need a minute?" 

Vanya's palms were cold and sweaty and she tried to remedy this by wiping it roughly on the coarse fabric of her school skirt.

_This is it, the beginning of Vanya Fedrova_

She took two calming breaths before facing her mother in the rear-view mirror, hoping to get infected with her giddy enthusiasm for her daughter who was about to start a new chapter of her life.

"I'm ready." Picking up her black backpack, which was a mandatory part of her uniform, opened the car door and stepped out of the volkswagen, the heel of her shoes making a soft clink on the cobblestone.

The school required heeled shoes for the female students - at least an inch high so she and Grace (both of whom had never ventured out of the Academy unsupervised before) went on a little shopping excursion and bought her, her very first non-standard Academy school shoes. This caused a little animosity between her and Allison as the latter turned green with envy when she saw Vanya sneak up the stairs, arms loaded with pink and white shopping bags.

For the first time in her life, she had owned something brand new and her sister didn't like it.

There were three book binders with six re-fillers in varying colors, and a lamp for her study table. Elegant black pens and a box of branded pencils that were stuffed in a tube pencil holder with swirly yellow and blue design. If that wasn't enough, her mother pulled her to a pretty botique near the atrium of the mall and bought her new clothes. The saleslady's eyebrows rose to her hairline upon noticing her mom's old fashioned attire but said nothing as she directed Vanya to a row of blouses and skirts.

In the end, she brought home a few assorted shirts, two white and black jeans, one denim skirt and white trainers.

It was more than what she expected and as they exited the busy mall, Vanya voiced her concern about what her father might say. Grace assured her that her dad had handed over the authority to decide what Vanya needed for school to her, so unless her father asked (which was highly unlikely) Grace was free to spend every penny on the black card she was given.

Out of the car, she was assaulted by a variety of smells from the flowers around her. She could smell roses, gardenias and freesia coming from every direction while a gardener was lovingly watering a box of sunflowers. 

Vanya felt like she was in a meadow, or rather, a very wealthy woman's garden, almost half expecting a butler to appear out of thin air to come and inform them that the lady of the house is expecting them at the gazebo.

A soft laugh escaped her lips and Grace turned to her and held out her arm. Vanya looped hers over her mother's, feeling the need to have a reminder of the life she still had at home.

A woman wearing a smart pant-suit waved at their approaching forms, a welcoming smile on her face. The bell had already rung so a lot of students were running past them trying to get to their classes. There was a boy with a large bag on his back that was shaped like a guitar, the bag bobbing up and down as he scurried past a pair of girls who were carefully hauling up a large mural of a cat and a scrawny teen limping up the steps behind the guitar man.

"Ah, you must be Mrs. Fedrova." The woman greeted, the white of her teeth looking like a smile used in a toothpaste commercial. 

"Please, call me Grace." her mom pulled her close, softly squeezing her arm. She took this as a signal to introduce herself. "And this is my daughter."

"Vanya Ha-Fedrova." Remembering her new name. "Vanya Fedrova."

"Rebecca Dalton, Headmistress of Fiorella High."

If the woman noticed her little slip, she wouldn't comment on it. "Welcome to our school Vanya. I hear it's your first time being out of the home-school system?"

"Yes, my father is very protective of me." reciting the lies as easily as if it were gospel. "I always wanted to go to Fiorella since I was a young child, when father told me I was accepted here, I nearly leapt for joy."

Painting a fake smile on her face and hoping it was as convincing enough as Allison's.

"She and her siblings are very sheltered. " Grace agreed, but did not elaborate on anything more. The woman nodded in understanding.

"And we are glad to have you here Vanya." She gestured to the campus. "Shall we begin the tour?"

* * *

Fiorella was the largest school she had ever seen, as well as the most beautiful - which probably doesn't mean anything since she hasn't really been to that many campuses.

"Fiorella High School for the Arts has been in operation since the early eighties. "

They were led to a building called Dahlia Hall - the original house of the family, who started the school. They were highly influential during world war 2 with the head of the family at the time being a celebrated general. Somewhere along campus was an opening to a deep tunnel where many residents of 1940's New York, stayed during air strikes. Nobody knew where this opening was apparently, because it was never spoken of again since the end of the war. 

Rumor has it that the house briefly became a military base for shady experimentation before opening as a school in 1981. 

The tidbit of information was meant to be trivial as Mrs. Dalton laughed at this and said it was merely lore. _Nobody believed it_ , she said.

There were 5 buildings in total, Dahlia Hall which was the main house where the classrooms and offices were located. An unnamed gym, the Peirce Assembly and two art buildings. The old art building - which it was literally called - was separated into classrooms for specific departmental uses while the "new art building" was a fairly smaller structure that functioned as a clubhouse of sorts.

Vanya looked at both buildings, estimating how expensive the electricity bill might be and wondering how much of Reginald's money she was expecting to pay back once she and Five bid the old asshole goodbye.

The curriculum was quite normal, students were heterogeneous in classification, meaning there wasn't a special class; all students, no matter the departments were put together in general classes with one hour a day - depending on your year-level dedicated to what art you are focusing on.

Mrs. Dalton greatly emphasized inclusivity with the program. Students, in their free time could join whatever club or activity held by the school that they wanted to participate in, regardless of talent, department or skill.

Fiorella believed that **_art can only truly be called art if it is shared and appreciated._**

Vanya knew that if her dad heard this, the man would turn beet red with the amount of "liberation" the "children" indulged in. Reginald was always a sucker for classifying his charges according to what they were good at, his tolerance for them, measured on how good they were at something which sucks for the child labeled as useless.

Lunch came by fast and numerous food stalls were installed around campus for the hungry students. Well-known brands and rising restaurants were all mixed together, with each having a line of teenagers waiting patiently for their turn. It smelled amazing, she was especially enraptured by a stall that sold candied banana's on a stick with a dark liquid that appeared to have gelatin squares floating in them. 

Too distracted in eyeing the food, she bumped into someone, her small frame catapulting back as two firm hands held her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry." she instantly apologized.

"It's fine." 

Vanya looked up to meet the dark brown eyes of a boy. The tips of his right fingers were rough through her thin cardigan and his pointer was wrapped in plaster. She also noticed the faint smell of liniment oil.

He was handsome, Vanya would give him that; with a warm complexion, thick lashes and a charming smile. 

"Vanya," she heard her mother call, and with one more apology she joined her and the principal on the final stop of the tour: the new arts building.

"This is the newest installment to our campus." Mrs. Dalton declared proudly. There were stairs, of course, but the three-story building was easily navigated through an elevator. They went through a row of glass practice rooms, one filled with instruments, another filled to the brim with art supplies while the last was just a room full of mirrors.

It was also the only one with a group of students inside it.

"This is the dance club, comprising mostly of our Dance Department and is one of Fiorella's competing teams in national competitions. They are to compete in this year's national dance league, sometime in December"

Dalton added some more information, but Vanya was too busy admiring the assortment of students in the room, all huddled together in a circle with an older boy waving excitedly in the middle, some rolling their eyes but it was more out of fondness than actual annoyance. Vanya felt envious of the amount of familiarity they seem to ooze even through the small window of the door.

Having never experienced that kind of aura at home, she nearly presses herself against the window.

As she does this, a girl turns in her direction and a curious look goes over her face. 

Vanya, unsure how to respond, does she wave or smile? Maybe a nod? But before she can embarrass herself in a sure social suicide, the girl's face breaks into a wide grin and waves a tentative hand at her.

For a moment she thought her brain had short-circuited with the way she dumbly returned the gesture in a half-assed manner.

_Way to go Vanya_

"Perhaps you can join the musical instruments club." Her mom nudged her.

"Oh, what?" Vanya said, distracted. 

Grace beamed at her, then looked meaningly at the principal.

"My daughter is very skilled in playing the violin, she even taught herself!."

Mrs. Dalton's eyes lit up.

"Really? well then, we have a very good music club." she turned to Vanya. "Are you up for that dear?"

"I'm not very skilled" a blush tainting her cherub cheeks, a trait she had always hated because of the teasing she had endured from Diego when she was a child.

"I'm moderately good at it."

Grace patted her hair in a soft motherly gesture. "Please, she's being modest."

Whatever movie she downloaded to help her act the part of the perfectly supportive mother certainly helped her, as the principal smiled at the way she gushed about her daughter being a virtuoso on the violin.

Like a cookie-cutter mother from those chick-flicks Allison secretly watched, that one with the over-enthusiastic parental figures, what was the name? **Mean Girls?**

The acting was so on point that Vanya almost believed it herself.

At last, Grace said seriously, "Well, whatever you decide to do here, I just want you to know, your father and I will be so proud of you"

Vanya fought back a snort.

Maybe after he complains about how expensive this school probably is but then again for Reggie, even letting her breathe is already costing him a fortune. 

Getting approval from her father, on the other hand, is like trying to get a cat to not chase a red dot.

You physically can't unless you want scratches all over you.

They were finally back at the entrance of what she now knew as Dahlia Hall.

"Thank you again for accepting our daughter at such a late time."

Grace faced the woman, her stance completely relaxed and gratefully shaking the principal's hand.

"You're very much welcome, Mrs. Fedrova. Rest assured, Vanya is in good hands."

Grace turned to her, and bent down to press a soft kiss on her cheek. Vanya took a step back, caught off guard. She noticed the principal looking oddly at her.

"Mom, you just can't do that in front of someone." making sure her voice came out as a whine.

Probably witnessing this a thousand times when having parent-children meetings, Mrs. Dalton grinned fondly at the mother-daughter duo.

"Kids, what can you do except love them?"

"Too true, Mrs. Dalton." Grace agreed. 

The statement warmed her heart, even though her mother was a robot incapable of such feelings.

"This is where, I go then. Good luck darling." She squeezed Vanya's shoulder and turned in the direction of the car park. Grace hadn't even made it two steps when Vanya ran up to her and gave her a hug. Vanya suddenly felt the weight of being alone to navigate the strange new world of high school, and feeling like a child again as she clung to her mother for comfort.

"Thank you for coming with me." she murmured into the pink and rose patterned fabric of her mother's dress.

"Oh, Vanya...you'll do amazing." Grace hugged her back and pressed her lips to the crown of her hair.

She let go and watched her mother wave at her before entering the car and exiting the large campus.

Mrs. Dalton was waiting for her with a slip of paper that contained her schedule.

"It's still lunch time, would you like to eat at the cafeteria, Vanya? Though I warn you that nothing edible or worth your money is ever served there."

The woman said cheekily and gestured to the wide array of food stalls.

"The only reason we still have it, is for the school board to earn more money. Don't you worry though, we're working hard to dismantle it."

Vanya was still drugged up to her eyelids and if she felt anything at the moment, her mouth would've hung open at such honesty - especially coming from a high ranking teacher.

She declined, choosing to wander the variety of food waiting for her. She passed by groups of students, eating at the field and some by the benches and waiting sheds. 

All her life she was stuck at the Academy with nothing to do but count the cracks on the ceiling of her room, now she was here, outside. With no Reginald or Numbers 1 to 4 in sight! The feeling was amazing - even if it was toned down by the pills, no one was there to tell her to go away or come into her room just to make fun of her. 

_If only Five and Ben were here._

Although she had planned to buy the candied banana's, she got distracted by the smell of greasy burgers and fries from a famous fast-food joint. The burgers were messy, oozing with spicy red sauce and the fries were drowning in oil, but she didn't care. Having been raised on healthy alternatives all her life, forgive her for being a little too enthusiastic in splurging on unhealthy food that her father would never approve of.

Buying herself a full meal, the young girl found an empty bench just beside the water fountain where she could see the glinting of the crystal blue water as it was hit just right by the noon sunlight. As soon as the salty taste of the patty exploded on her tongue, she knew that her life was changed forever. Grace, for all her efforts in ensuring a tasty and healthy lifestyle for her children that one of her daughters was now a convert to fast food and there was no going back.

Maybe she'll bring some home, for the sake of it.

Her short legs swung idly, her feet not even reaching the floor; small hands pressed against the warm wood of the chair as she contemplated her life and what it has led to. Around this time, her siblings would be rushing off to freshen up before their father called them over for afternoon training. A slow smile creeped along her face, the apples of her cheeks piling high.

Perhaps she should feel guilty but right now? all she was feeling was elation at the prospect of being away from most of her dick-faced family.

Vanya spent 30 minutes in total bliss as she ate her heart-clogging meal and admired the beautiful scenery around her. When she reached into her pocket in search of a napkin to wipe her face on, instead her hand connected to a crumpled piece of paper written were the words.

" _School ends in a few hours."_

She didn't need a name to know that it was from Five, so there was little motivation for her to finish the day and head home, tucking the paper back in her cardigan she rummaged through her bag instead to look for something else to use. This time she comes upon the pill bottle weighing heavily at the bottom of the bag, reminding her of the dose she still had to take. Despite wanting to ditch her meds, she knew that Pogo was monitoring the number of pills in her bottle as her father instructed. 

Coaxing herself to the idea that she wasn't going to ingest any of the foul tasting pills tonight at dinner, she popped out two and a half of another. Using the cutter from her medicine bag, Grace had prepared for her.

It slid down her throat with difficulty, tasting bitter and some particles even staying in her tongue, thankfully her water bottle was in arms-reach so she was able to flush it down with water easily.

Vanya checked her new watch and found that it was 15 minutes before 1'o clock, she hurriedly wiped clean the ketchup stains on the bench and threw the trash in it's appropriate waste bin and limped her way up to the second floor of Dahlia Hall with her new shoes biting her heel, no doubt blisters were in order for the next day.

She was the first one there and the class adviser told her to sit at the plastic chairs prepared for guests in the hallway as she will have to be introduced to the class when everyone has arrived. Her stomach bubbled with fear and excitement as she waited for her classmates, she was scared of course, but the way everyone seemed to smile and acknowledge her presence as they entered the room helped her focus (as much focus as one can, when drugged up to their eyelids) even if she was too busy playing with her school skirt to return any greetings.

At exactly 1:05, Ms. Wilson called her in and requested she introduce herself in front of the class. Cold hands latched onto the door knob and she soon found herself facing twenty-five students - all of whom were eyeing her curiously - as she relayed the story she had been reading up earlier. 

Vanya is the daughter of a russian businessman and was home-schooled all her life because of security issues. One girl jokingly asked whether her family was part of the mob and she cheekily replied that she'd ask him. To which the said classmate received a teasing "oohhh" from the class. At close inspection Vanya realized it was the girl from the art building who was talking to her, and she clearly remembered the her - girl who all but plastered herself to the glass window.

Embarrassed by her blatant show of ignorance, she smiles and looks away from the pretty girl. 

As soon as the introductions are done, Miss Wilson directs her to a seat between another desk and the window, unfortunately it was right next to the strange girl she was trying to avoid. With her bag safely at her feet, she was prepared to endure the next few hours staring blankly at the instructors who were going to come in and teach the lessons for the day.

Her seatmate had other plans.

"Hi there, I'm Lila Pitts." Her hand extended for a hand shake, making Vanya turn towards her confused.

Her accent was reminiscent of her father's british one but _Lila's_ was more whole and informal, less clipped and 'better-than-you' in tone.

"Vanya." she returned.

Lila leaned towards her, a mischievous smile on her face. "Are you new here too? Same! It can get pretty intimidating but I assure you, this lot is as serious as full-bellied kittens."

"Oh..." 

Should she say anything else? In truth, she had never had anyone actively seek out a conversation with her and it made her freeze during the whole incident. Lila apparently didn't mind, because she kept harping about the "ins and outs" she had learned with her 3 week head-start. By the end of the period she was introduced to another friend of Lila's, the boy she bumped into earlier named Timothy Mariano. He was in the same musical instrument department as her and played the violin as well.

The effects of the pills might have mellowed her out but she still found it in her to laugh at the jokes Tim and Lila would share with her in-between classes. Knowing that her pills had the tendency to jumble out her memories the next day, she wrote in a loopy script in her binder when her two new friends weren't looking.

_Lila Pitts - dance department, friendly and free-spirited. - ~~don't know how to decribe her yet.~~_

_Timothy Mariano - sweet and kind, shared his notes with me today - ~~major dork~~_

* * *

"So how was your first day?" her mom asked as they were pulling into the Academy.

Vanya who was still vibrating with excitement, gave her a loopy smile and with all her heart said that it wasn't so bad. As the days melded into one another, Vanya found herself enjoying the company of her two new friends and being out of the Academy more than she expected. Lila and her had, unsurprisingly, little in common, but that didn't stop them from bonding over dysfunctional families and their love for the arts. Timothy was really sweet to her and sat next to her in class. Vanya soaked up everything they were teaching her about "teen-aging" - pop culture, slang and trends she didn't even know existed. She even learned of the new hit movie, High School Musical where an actor named Zach Efron had become a recent interest or rather, what did Lila call him ? a _"heartthrob?"_ since the movie came out last July.

She really liked hanging out with them.

On more than one occasion, she had to be snapped out of her trance as she daydreamed about her new life outside. It was a good cover-up though, cuz dear ol' Reggie still thought her attitude was due to the drugs. Her routine has been altered as well, right before dinner she would be found playing her violin (which she admits she's starting to lose love for) but now, she'd be in the library, doing her homework, the only time she does play - is if Five would request it of her while he keeps solving, re-solving, theorizing and re-theorizing about time-traveling.

It worries her really, making her think that this has become a sort of obsession that he can never get out of, besides, time-travelling as her father would describe back at the table when he first broached it when they were 13, was fickle. The effects of not doing it correctly would damage the mind and the body. 

And in typical Five fashion, it made him want to do it more.

"I'm so close to cracking it, V" he'd tell her while furiously scribbling notes on a beaten notebook.

It was around noon on a Sunday when he unceremoniously entered her room and sat on her newly arranged desk full of books, photocopied notes and stationary. Knowing why he was here, she put down her highlighter and picked up the violin, deciding to play him a bit of Paganini that they have tackled in their specialized class.

For Five's sake she doesn't tell him of all the fun she's been having at Fiorello. She told him half-truths instead, never really being able to lie to him since he always knew when she was lying and vice-versa. Telling him stories about:

The airhead who annoys her every time she had violin practice - _He meant well except he didn't know how to verbalize it well._

The mean teacher who threw out her homework once because she was going through a divorce - _She called her over at the end of the class to apologize and even offered to call her Grace to formally apologize to her parents too._

It wasn't technically lying when some of it was true, right?

Ben, however, was a different story, when the three would hang out by the courtyard to read. He would eye her wearily as he leaned his head back on the large trunk of the tree.

Sometimes he'd ask her about school, trying to catch her off-guard - trying to divulge more information out of her. Which to an extent he was successful. He learned about the multiple invitations she had denied from Lila and Tim, the time she lied to mom because she wanted to watch Lila practice and told her that she was going home at 5 instead of her usual time. Being invited to be part of the dance club...

"I'm happy for you, Vanya but maybe you should just be honest with mom about this." Ben said as he flicked on another page of The Count of Monte Cristo.

An Incredelous expression came over her face. Since her exposure to the outside world, Vanya has been more vocal in stating her feelings - at least to the closest of her siblings whom she believes won't rat out her change of behavior to their father. (Allison and Luther were the favorites, Diego so desperately wanted approval while Klaus, well he can never keep a secret to save his life.)

"I guess, I hope she doesn't tell dad though." her voice soft and playing with the ends of her skirt. Seeing her sadness, Ben patted his shoulder, an invitation for her to lean on him and she did. "Dad did say I was allowed 1 activity."

That conversation happened a few days ago and he even mentioned she tell Five about the truth of her feelings for Fiorello but she didn't want to ruin his illusion that she was still the shy, timid girl he used to know, God help him because that boy doesn't react positively to change. 

"Are you done yet?" She asked the boy in question. He was more focused today, only nodding in her direction while his head was buried inside his notebook.

"Almost, I just have to..."

There was a silence, usually she was used to it but there was something different about this one. Her gaze moved to Five, who was now frozen in place, his back stiff and Vanya thought he had stopped breathing.

"Five?" she called. "You, okay buddy?"

He turned towards her and suddenly Vanya felt worried, _very worried._

Five had the largest grin he had ever worn on his face, the piece of paper he was working on, clutched tightly in his hands. There was a manic glee in the depths of the greens of his eyes.

"I did it..." words said so softly.

"Excuse me, what?"

"I did it!"

He jumped from the chair and hugged her close, her short frame only coming up under his chin. 

Five was basically buzzing with excitement as he pulled away, his lips making a move to form the words that have been on his mind for a long time.

"I know how to time-travel, Vanya." 

Before she could digest what he meant, their mom knocked on the open doorframe. They jumped apart, now noticing her cheeks heating, Vanya pulled the ends of her blazer and motioned to the exit.

"Tell me all about it later?"

Just like the dutiful little robots they were, the Hargreeves all gathered at the table for the meal. Vanya poked at the vegetable taco her mother had prepared and wished there were condiments for it like in the stalls at school.

The silence was unsettling, the sound of utensils on a plate being dragged across the plate made her bristle. She risked looking up and saw the sorry state of Diego, hair still dripping and eyes blank as he played with the beans that had escaped his taco. 

For the whole week, their father paid extra attention to him after Ben went out of commission after nearly getting torn to pieces by the eldritch because of too much training. Ordering her brother to summon the creature from the void at the drop of a hat and re-calling them back as if it was a pet. It caused the portal in Ben's body to strain and bruise, it hurt so much that even breathing was difficult for him.

It was inhumane and Vanya had half the sense of poisoning Reggie in his sleep - if he ever sleeps.

The slamming of a knife on the table grabbed her attention, Five was smiling unnaturally at their father, who didn't seem to care.

"I have figured it out,."

Reginald didn't stir, continuing on munching on the crispy taco shell.

"Dad, I know how to time-travel."

Again, no response. Vanya felt a stirring in her gut, Five looked determined as he jumped to where his father was sitting. 

"Nonsense, Number Five, even the most brilliant scientist had not even discovered such tricky matters of time and I don't expect someone as young as you would even scratch the surface of their research." He said blandly.

Five's mouth tightened into a thin line. Insulted at his father's jab at his intelligence. 

Arrogance had always been his flaw.

"Well, I figured it out." He said tersely. "Faster than those stupid degree holders, I know this is it Dad, I can jump through time."

Reginald dropped his utensils on the table, the sound vibrating around the table.

Vanya felt a tug at her heart.

"Enough, you have indulged in your childish fantasy a long time, Number Five. And I'm afraid that I had made it worse by letting you do all your stupid research." He grabbed the paper that until now, she hadn't noticed was in his hand.

Right in front of everyone, he ripped the page in half. 

Everyone stopped and stared, too shocked to say anything. Allison's mouth hung open, Luther gripped his spoon so tightly it bent, Klaus's head snapped up at the noise and a horrified expression on his face. Ben's eyes were wide open and Vanya,

_She had never felt so much rage before._

Unbeknownst to her, the chandelier above them was swinging back and forth, dangerously leaning towards the man at the head of the table.

Stony-faced, the fifth child looked as if he was debating on grabbing the plate and smashing it over Reggie's head. Finally he turned and ran out of the room. Without even hesitating, Vanya's chair slid loudly across the marble floor and she ran after him.

"Number Five, Number Seven!"

But they didn't turn back. Two other chairs followed.

"Numbers Four and Three, I forbid you!"

Numerous patters of feet joined hers in quick succession. Vanya spotted the end of Five's blazer as he sprinted away.

"Five! No!"

She pushed her short legs to run the fastest it had ever done in a long time. Vanya sprinted past many civilians.

"Five, STOP!" she screeched when she saw the crackling of energy beginning to materialize around him. Vanya launched at him, tackling him to the ground and cutting off his attempted jump.

"Vanya!" He spat but softly pushed her away, they were drawing attention but no one seemed to notice them as the umbrella kids yet, especially Vanya who was wearing the uniform but was not seen with them since their debut.

"I'm sorry but I had to stop you." saying all this in one breath. "I have a bad feeling about you doing the jump."

"Oh, really? agree with Reggie that I can't do it? that I'm stupid?" 

If it hadn't been for the many moments they had with one another, Vanya would have cowered back at the snarl he was directing at her. He was upset, hiding the pain with a facade of anger. 

"Guys!" Klaus' voice called from behind them. He was fast-walking with Ben, an arm over behind their injured brother, supporting his walk

"What are you doing here?"

"Being with our brother and sister, I've seen a lot of shit being on missions but that." Klaus emphasized the "t", "Gotta be in the top ten."

"Takes the cake for me." Ben added, a hard edge to his usually soft voice. "You okay Five? Dad needs to cool his shit."

Ben pulled him up despite Klaus' protest. 

"I can't believe he did that to you." Vanya said quietly - and she can't even fathom what on earth came over their father that, he did _that,_

 _"Shit, I think we gotta leave now."_ Ben gestured to a child who was pointing at them and now a group of pedestrians were fast approaching. 

The shot to their feet and ran as fast as they could away, ducking into an antique shop.

"So now what?" Ben asked.

"I don't know." Five kicked at the floor, turning to his back and plopping his butt into an upholstered chair. Vanya bit her lip.

"Can you not perform the jump without the notes?"

He scoffed. "It's all up here, Vanya I'm not an ameteur." Pointing to his head, looking utterly defeated.

"You think you can do it?" 

Five's head tilted to the side and he stood up to stare at the three of them. 

"C'mon then Five." 

"I've never tried this before, or even spatial jumped with anyone," his eyes assessing his siblings. "Let alone 3 people for a temporal one, are you sure about this?"

"Go big or go home, that's the Hargreeves motto." Klaus chirped.

Vanya's earlier fear of letting him jump alone had suddenly been extinguished, as if she knew that as long as he had someone with him, nothing bad would go wrong.

They formed a circle and blue electric light enveloped them, surrounding their forms until they disappeared with a soft pop, just in time for the shop keeper to peek at the back and find an empty space. With a shrug he continued in sweeping the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think? yes, yes? (nods head up and down excitedly)
> 
> Hope you like my little re-imagining of the run scene.


	3. Bringing back family ties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy! I hope you're all well:> sorry I've been M.I.A. for a while. I've been busy breaking my back in carrying out some group work for school, so it's been pretty eventful. Anyway, Fedrova Girl is just a really fast paced story that will have 4-6 chapters and I'm trying to push out 5k to 6k words each chapter hehehe. So the fast character development/story pacing you may see is very much intentional and I've pretty much dug my own grave in posting a multi-chap fic :< but hey, we're committed. As always, it's so amazing that a lot of people have read this story, you're all so wonderful!!!

The seasons slowly started changing, leaves falling in a mix of russet colors and the air progressively getting colder, Christmas came and went while the inhabitants of the Umbrella Academy soldiered on for another year in the nut house they called home.

Vanya had not realized how much time had passed since she entered Fiorella high school, how different it was from what she had expected.

Vanya was treated normally by people, there was no pre-determined expectation for her and she was free to do what she wanted. Instead of a heavy shackle, the new name she thought had given her, it gave her the freedom to re-invent herself – to become a new person. Away from Vanya Hargreeves and what was expected of her at home.

Far from what she had expected, she actually enjoyed her 9 hours as 'Vanya Fedrova'

What she didn’t know was that someone else was enjoying Vanya’s little rebellious streak, and was just waiting for the right moment to strike.

* * *

It was an unusually warm afternoon, Vanya and Lila just got out of dance practice. The illustrious annual school talent show; a fundraiser for orphanages in the area was drawing near.

After a kind invitation by the her new friend Lila for a place as a member in her dance group, a certain deep seated want for rebellion awoke in her. Vanya was expected to be a weak person, who had no coordination whatsoever, so why not prove them wrong? 

At first she struggled, not having moved that much in her life – her body twisting and curling in directions she had never tried before. It was exhausting and hard and tiring…but it was something she had never tried before, so she had the best time!

The three other girls in her group were so nice too, they weren’t angry when she made a mistake, maybe a tick in the jaw, at times or a deep sigh but they had never uttered a demeaning thing in any way, they just told her to get up and try again.

“Whatever you’re going to say, the answer is no.” Tim declared after the two slumped down on the grass beside him, he too was practicing in his own group. Apparently the “Spring Highlight” was one of the events of the year in Fiorella.

Lila stopped mid-sentence, one hand in the air, as if about to pitch an idea to a group of board members.

“C’mon, Timmy, dear old Vanya here won’t agree otherwise.” She whined, pointing to said friend who was calmly starting to write her essay. “It’s obvious you’re her favorite.”

“Way to talk as if I’m not here, Lils.”

“You know I love you.” Sending a kissy face to her friend. Tim shook his head.

“Before this escalates, I am going to go and get some food.” He looks at both the girls, eyes lingering on Vanya. “You want anything?”

“Can you please get me a bag of those strawberry sweets?” She requested, smiling up at him. Her friend nodded shyly and bustled away, a new spring in his step.

“All I’m asking is for you to join us at the hideout. I promise it’ll be fun. Tim has been there already. I promise you nothing untoward is expected to happen." Lila continued, typing her long black hair into a top-knot.

Vanya raised a brow, knowing full well that wasn’t the case. Lila, despite all her good intentions, was a magnate for trouble.

“Huh.” She said evenly. “ _nothing, you say?”_

Said friend looked down guiltily, biting the inside of her cheek. “Okay, it might be on the shadier side of town, and you might have to sneak out of the house.”

“I’d rather like being alive Lila, thank you very much.” Vanya quipped, grabbing her eraser to fix a paragraph she failed to see a mistake in.

Lila rolled her eyes. “Aw don’t be so dramatic. It’s just a little outing, 2 hours, tops. No one will even find out your gone.”

Vanya checked her watch and pulled out her pills. Lila wrinkled her nose.

“Seriously? Those pills again? they turn you into the living dead.”

“I need them to stay calm Lils, Jesus.” She extracted the proper dose from the bottle and forced herself to swallow.

Vanya has been weaning herself off her new dose because her need to be sharper during dance practices with her group mates. The school talent show will happen in the last week of February but everyone was already preparing. One of her group members mentioned once that she was nimble and more on beat when she wasn’t all doped up. Not wanting to disappoint her group, she took their advice and was slowly getting out of routinely popping pills.

As of the moment, there had been no anxiety attacks and she had hope in her mind that it would continue on, at least until the end of the show – maybe then she could pass out or something.

“Well I like sober Vanya better.”

“She likes you too, but she doesn’t want her family hounding her butt about not drinking her meds.” Vanya answered, pocketing her medicine.

Lila smiled at the new confidence and sass Vanya had been exhibiting.

There had been a significant shift in her attitude since the day she ran out of the Academy and went on a little time expedition with her three brothers.

It had caused them to do the dishes and clean the bathrooms, the boys having to do extra training but it was worth it.

They had a bit of a glimpse into the future, and saw things that they promised each other would only stay between them.

Five was spectacular as usual, he had also taken them home on the same day they had left. It was the most surreal thing she had ever experienced, doing adventures with her brothers and acting as if she was one of them.

Despite scrubbing the dirty bathroom floor that night, her smile was unwavering.

Five was out for three days and part of her punishment was not being allowed to visit him. Ben and her opted to wait outside the door of the infirmary when they had the time, taking a peek inside and making sure he was okay. (Unfortunately, after he was released, he was forced to endure another round of rigorous training as his punishment.)

Klaus joined them as well, Ben and him were familiar with each other so she left the small talk to them.

Vanya hadn’t really interacted with him when he was sober – which was weird since he had not been high since the encounter at the dinner table. Of course, Klaus being Klaus, he’d always try to break the silence by cracking a joke. She’d smile politely but her heart wasn’t really into it.

The golden trio (Luther, Allison and Diego) still dismissed her like piece of lint when she entered the room but she swore, when they came back that night, carrying a passed out Five, there was a look of respect in Diego’s brown eyes.

“I’ll text you okay.”

“Excellent.” A cheshire cat – like smile on her scheming friend's face.

At the same time, Tim came back with their treats. He tossed a coke to Lila while sitting down on the patch of grass beside Vanya, he carefully gave her the candies, their hands gently brushing.

Thinking nothing of it, she simply smiled and reached into her bag to pay him back.

“No it’s fine, I had extra change anyway.” Trying to wave off the hand containing the money,

“That doesn’t mean you have to give it to me.” she frowned, prying his closed palm open to drop the dollar bill.

Lila blew raspberries, lying on her stomach, peering over them through heavy-lidded eyes.

“You know he’s rich, I’m pretty sure a bag of sweets won’t make him starve” She said off-handedly from the opposite end of their little circle. “Just let the boy do it, Van. He’s clearly trying to impress you.”

A smirk from the rim of the soda bottle she was drinking, while Tim turned a deep crimson. Vanya felt her cheeks flare but before the awkward silence could be addressed her phone rang.

“ _Vanya, I’m at the parking lot.”_ Came her mother’s smooth voice.

A sigh of relief escaped her. **_Feelings,_** whether hers or others, true or not were not her forte'. She was sure if she were to stay another second with the impalpable silence - then her stupid mouth would blurt out something that all of them would regret.

“Van-“ Tim started.

“Listen, my mom’s already waiting for me. I guess, we’ll see each other tonight?” she inquired, rolling her eyes as Lila whooped triumphantly. “IF, there’s time for me to leave.”

“Sure. I’ll be waiting at the little doughnut shop, what is it called? Gribby? Grubsy?”

“Griddy’s” Vanya clarified. “And respect the name, that doughnut shop has some delicious chocolate glaze”

Lila wrinkled her nose before waving her away. “Fine, fine now go. It’s not polite to keep one’s mother waiting.”

Nodding at both of them, but unable to look Tim in the eye, Vanya packed her notebook and pills, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and fast-walking away from her two friends.

Grace was in the car, politely swaying her head to some music. After she greeted her mom, seatbelts were put on and they were on their way back to the Academy.

“How’s the dance going sweetie?”

“It’s the best mom, we’re sure to at least land in the top 5.” She answered, leg popping with excitement.

They rounded the corner, Academy in view and Vanya’s heart slowly sank. It was the only downside of her day

“That’s wonderful news! I’m sure the children and your father would love to see you perform"

Vanya smiled sadly, knowing full-well that Reggie would sooner drink a gallon of spoiled milk than having anything to do with her stupid activities, he and the rest of her family, that is.

But to appease her mom she nodded. Grace had quite literally become her only confidante aside from Ben, who knew what she was up to while in school. Word hadn’t got out yet and she wasn’t summoned to explain herself to dear old dad, so that’s a win. Or maybe her father did know and he just doesn’t care about what pathetic Seven did with her life.

Either way she wasn’t barred from doing what she liked so at least there’s that.

Something vibrated inside her bag as Grace pulled into the garage. Her phone (again, another Grace Hargreeves decision) was kept silent, as to not disturb anyone when one of her friends tried to contact her.

They got out of the car and Vanya was so immersed in an argument with Lila about whether ice cream was superior to the mango float, that she failed to notice another person coming from the opposite side of the kitchen. It was too late when she realized she was heading straight into Allison, who was down in the kitchen to grab some cookies that their mom had saved for after training.

“Hi, Vanya.” A surprised Allison greeted her, a pained smile on her face.

“Hi Allison,” she answered, briefly pocketing her phone.

Her sister’s face soured and she pushed past her without another word. A bit bothered, she bit her lip and called out to her; unsure what she had done wrong.

“Okay, then…if you want some candies, I have some in my room. Stop by when you want!” She added cheerfully, despite her sister ignoring her in favor of reaching for the cookie jar on the high shelves.

Her siblings might still hate her to a degree but had enough audacity to enter her room for outside snacks that she would bring into the house.

Allison particularly likes the milk-strawberry flavored ones and Vanya still wanted to cultivate a relationship with her siblings, even if that meant she would become a sort of outside world – junk food – vending machine.

Not waiting for a reply, she went up the stairs, thankfully not bumping into anyone else. They were all probably asleep/resting, as she had observed, training had become brutal these past few days for them.

There was a rustling in her room, already expecting Five as he had a tendency to hang about her room during free-hours, and this habit did not end just because she was in school. Vanya opened the door quietly so as not to disturb the genius in his natural habitat.

“Hey, there. I got some new candy.” She greeted, closing her door to hang her scarf.

“You’re back early.”

She whirled around and found Diego kneeling on the floor, hand reaching underneath her bed, eyeing her with an unreadable expression. Vanya returned the stare, unsure how to react to her most antagonizing brother.

“Diego.” she said.

“Vanya” he replied evenly.

He returned to whatever he was rummaging under her bed, while she stood there awkwardly twiddling her thumbs.

“What umm, what’cha looking for? Cuz that’s like my clothes under there.”

“None of your business.”

Small hands came to rest on her slim waist, her stance that of amused exasperation. “I would like to think it’s mine when my brother is going dangerously close to where I keep my underwears.”

At this, Diego pulled his hand away, his face flushing. Vanya shook her head and deposited her bag on the desk. Her heels clicked as she made her way towards the boy who had his palms covering his burning cheeks and face.

“So, It’d probably best if you tell me what we’re looking for else we’d be in a bit of an awkward situation, don’t you think.”

“S-shut up.” His voice muffled through his hands.

Vanya shook her head and noticed that he was out of his standard blazer and in his short-sleeved polo instead. A circle of red was pooling underneath a haphazardly put bandaged at the space just under his shoulder.

It worried her instantly.

“What happened?” He didn’t answer. Typical. “I’m guessing it’s the first aid kit you’re after then.”

Without missing a beat, she kneeled on the floor, hand reaching in the far corner of her bed to find the emergency kit she had stocked there.

It was usually for her daily visitor who hated being touched by anyone when he was injured and would come to her for stitching but since he wasn’t here, Vanya could use it on her other brother (how undeserving of her care he may be).

Her indifferent façade cracked, becoming a grimace once she realized how concentrated the red that was tinting the white cloth, the cut was deep and she had concluded it needed a stitch rather than a bandage.

“This would need some stitches.” Eyes on the kit rather than her brother. “It’s best if you went to mom.”

“I’m too old for that.” He grunted.

Vanya gave him a look, knowing of his fear of needles. Perhaps he had wanted to do it himself? Knowing him, Diego had a tendency to try to do things on his own – especially if it meant there was a chance of showing weakness or failure. They were the same in that sense, always wanting approval but at least she knew how to embrace it; he was more into destructively pushing himself until he did it right.

Taking a seat beside him, she gestured to his injury.

He gave her his arm begrudgingly, looking away from her but turning a shade of white when he saw her rub alcohol on the needle in order to sanitize it.

“Training, Dad had this new machine that threw knives. I had to re-direct them.” He mumbled, lips a pale white.

“I see…but isn’t he on a business trip to god-knows where?”

“He made Pogo do it.”

Having nothing else to say she just nodded.

Her hands were fast in sanitizing everything, she moved as slowly as she could to try to delay the inevitable – for Diego to compose himself but fast enough that he wouldn’t start getting woozy from the blood loss.

“Are we ready?’ she asked.

Only receiving a grunt for a reply, she took it as a yes. It must’ve really hurt his pride with the way he was asking for help from the sister he had previously declared useless and bullied throughout the years.

Fighting the smirk that was trying to break out with the thought that he finally ate his words, Vanya focused on the cruelty that he had gone through that pushed him to go to her.

_What kind of father throws his child in front of a weapon throwing machine?_

_Apparently Reginald Hargreeves._

It seems with the passing days; He became crueler towards the ones left at home. On more than one occasion, either one of her siblings was out of commission. Starting with Ben, then it was Allison, and then Five (after his stunt with the time-travelling), and finally Diego.

The man was determined to find and push each child’s limit and it was wearing all of them down.

“Are you hungry? I have this new thing.” She started. “I don’t really know if you like sweets and all but there’s this strawberry milk candy.”

He gave her a look, eyebrows scrunched up together.

“It’s a thing we have in uh, school. You should try some, Allison loves them.”

“And you think, I’d like them?” he asked.

“Well, considering your affinity for the strawberry sherbet mom makes, I just thought…” she trailed, feeling stupid at offering him the candies.

He probably liked protein shakes or whatever “manly-man” food he’s into these days.

Averting her eyes, she worked in silence, insecurity winning of her desire to connect with him. He probably noticed her mood change, surprising her when he coughed awkwardly.

“How’s school?”

Eyes widening at his question, it took her a few seconds to digest what he said.

“It’s – It’s good, learning something new each day.”

“Oh.”

There was a pause “…Dad never told us what type of school you go to, but we noticed you usually bring your violin.”

“It’s an Arts school, I’m in the classical instruments department.” She stated, already feeling happy at the memory of it.

Her hand reached over to the kit beside her, taking the surgical scissors from deep in the box. She snipped at the thread. 

“It’s done.”

Silence fell on them, she fiddled with the end of her school skirt and tried to figure out what to say. There is tension in the air – thick enough to have been cut with a knife. Diego seems to be at a loss for words too.

Focusing her energy on cleaning up the bloody mess, her mind scoured of any moment in their “childhood” when Diego asked for help from her but her brain came up blank. He was always the most verbal in his view of her insignificance among the siblings.

At least the others knew when to stop.

“I don’t know how you do it.” He said suddenly.

“Excuse me, what?” Eyebrows furrowed, her gaze fixed on him.

“I – I don’t know how you do it.” He mumbled this time. “Dad and the family, we’re horrible to you. Yet you do this.” He pointed to his now properly bandaged wound.

“And offer us candies, and don't treat us the same way we treat you.” The hands on his lap balled, glaring at an invisible enemy on her plain white wall.

“I hate how you’re such a pushover, you don’t even try to fight back.” He gritted. “Why don’t you fight back Vanya? Stop these niceties, stop being a coward. JUST STOP. FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE BE HONEST ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL”

Vanya glared at him, hurt that even after she helped him he had the audacity to spew out such words to her. Her nostrils flared and she slammed the kit on her thin mattress.

“Fine, you want me to be honest.” She stated, eerily calm. “I do what I do, because no matter how much trash you guys throw at me, you’re the only family I know. It pains me to say this but at the end of the day, when we are out into the great big world, we’ll only have each other.”

“The horrors we experienced in this house can’t be understood by anyone except us, so someday when I’m alone and scared, I want to able to pick up the phone and talk to someone who understands what I went through.” She snapped “There, that’s my reason. It’s selfish but the truth.”

She thought he would be upset but instead he tilted his head, assessing her like a dog would to a new owner, then the tip of his mouth came up in an obnoxious manner.

Another rant was bubbling in her throat when he stopped her with a loud chortle. “So what’s really happening is, you’re trying to make us a future support system because you don’t want to be lonely.”

“You should even thank me, at least there’s a guarantee that someone will keep in touch with you despite your shitty behavior.” Vanya was ready to throttle him, maybe even stab him a bit with the scissors she was packing up.

But he stood up – still laughing. “Alright, alright.” Throwing his hands up in surrender. “At least now, I know there’s a little devil inside you after all. I was starting to think you were one of those people who likes getting hurt and shit.”

“If you’re looking for those type of people, try the mirror.” she spat.

The statement elicited another laugh from her brother. He crossed the doorframe, then stopped, turning around to look at her, eyes curious and less hostile than usual.

“I guess there really is no best of us.” He said quietly. “You’re pretty good at patching people up, Vanya. Keep it up.”

He turned, the sound of his shoes echoing down the lonely hallway up to his room.

Vanya just stood there, confused with her bed full of bloodied cotton balls and her candy bag swiped. 

_What an odd day._

* * *

“So, Diego stopped by earlier?” Five clarified, sprawled out on her bed while she was doing homework.

“Yup” she answered, feet swinging back and forth. “He was injured and needed a few stitches.”

“Mom couldn’t do it?” 

“He’s in his phase, remember.”

Five looks as if he’s thinking it over and nods, hand scratching an imaginary beard. “I suppose.”

After one final period in her final essay, Vanya dropped her pen in the holder and joined him on the bed, pulling her blanket to cover her legs as she rested on the headboard and Five lying on the opposite end.

“How was your day?” she asked.

“Of course the usual, did training, some school work, training and the like.” He mumbled, arms shielding his face from the fluorescent light of her room.

“Bored with the mundanity of Academy life?” she poked him with her socked toe.

He waved it away but a small smile graced his lips. “Without you here, it’s quite boring.”

She felt her cheeks heat up at this, as she played with the frayed ends of the blanket. Her heart was beating loudly at his compliment.

_Five's my best friend, get it together_

“Five…” she trailed, unsure of what to say.

He, on the other hand didn’t seem bothered.

When did their relationship suddenly lose it’s childhood innocence? maybe it was just her taking his words differently than she should’ve. Five could never see her that way – she was the youngest sibling who he took pity on.

“How about you? Anything new?” he inquired in a lazy drawl.

She pursed her lips, he was still on the impression that she hated school. On more than one occasion, it made her guilty that she had to mask a bit of the truth from him, when he in fact had never lied to her. It ate her up at night, when he’s cuddled up beside her in bed.

She shouldn’t really be stressed about this, it was just school and whether or not she enjoyed it? but then again, Five was a brat at times, constantly wanting her attention and he’d go into his little pouting fits if he found out she preferred school than being in the Academy – and by extension him. which was not the case, but this was Five and he basically had 'dramatic' tattooed over his forehead.

“I – well…I might’ve joined a little dance competition. It’s in the last week of February, it would mean a lot to me, if you would come see me…”

He raised himself up on his elbows, face blank of any expression. “Dance…?”

“Yes.” She said excitedly, leaning forwards so she could speak to him clearly. “We have this little routine where we do these – “

“Dance?” he interrupted “Vanya are you sure about this?”

Her shoulders deflated, embarrassed that she had just been questioned about her abilities by the one person she believed would have her back.

“I mean yeah, it’s something new but…my group mates are really nice. They teach me…” furiously undoing the frills of the blanket. “I’m really happy…”

Her eyeballs started burning, the lower lid becoming flushed with tears as she covered her eyes with her bangs. Vanya hadn’t cried in months, give it to Five to break her streak.

She was always weak around him.

“Yeah, um” he cleared his throat, suddenly aware of her lowered spirits. “Whatever makes you happy then, Van.”

A single tear fell from her right eye, falling on the pristine white covers.

“Yeah, thanks Five.”

He stayed for a bit more but left when she complained about a headache. At first he insisted that he stay with her, but she kept repeating that it would be best if she just fell asleep for once in her bed…alone…without anyone sharing the tiny space.

When he finally got the picture that she was upset with him, he kissed her cheek and bid her an albeit gritted out goodnight but Vanya was too tired to deal with him. 

The lights out were always at around 10, the phone under her pillow vibrated softly and Vanya reached under to check the message.

_From Lila:_

_Hey, I’m outside the shop! Get down here : >_

Vanya bit her lip, Dad wasn’t home and her siblings were all asleep. Perhaps a little night away from them is what she needed.

_Vanya:_

_I’ll see you in a few minutes: >_

She rummaged through her closet for some normal and warm clothes. As she was putting on a warm sweater, she heard a crash from the other side of the wall, right where Klaus roomed. It wasn’t unusual, sometimes at night, there would be weird sounds coming from there but she never really bothered with it, partly because he didn’t like anyone other than Ben to check on him. since their whole adventure, she had started warming up to him as she found out her brother was a decent boy, he was just too embroiled in his own darkness that it caused him to make some questionable decisions.

She made two tentative knocks on the thin wall.

“Klaus, are you alright?” her small voice asked, face pressed to the wall.

There was a silence and she thought that he was going to go off on her like he usually did when he had an episode but instead, she hears a soft thud, as if something rested right on the wall, right where her face should be.

“Vanya?” came Klaus’s weak reply, it was raspy as if he had been crying.

“Yeah…I heard the crash. Are you okay?”

More silence. it was so quiet to the point that she wondered if he had either fallen asleep or decided to just ignore her. A few more minutes and the phone vibrated again but this time she doesn’t check it

“Klaus?” she tries again. “Are you there”

Then out of the silence he goes, “I’m scared, Vanya, they're so loud.”

He whimpers like a child, and then she hears him breathing deeply as if trying to stifle some sobs. Not knowing what to do, she remembers that ever since they had turned fourteen, Pogo had stopped recording the children’s side of the manor whenever their father wasn’t home. (At least that’s what Five told her)

Maybe it was the guilt that he had about being in league with the disturbed man and had a hand in destroying their childhood or something else.

Whatever it was, she was thankful that this would not be recorded. "Do you want me to come?"

“Yes," he said almost desperately. "They’re telling me…things, horrible, terrible things…Vanya…they’re coming closer…Vanya help me” He cried. “Leave me alone!”

Hysterical shouts were heard from his side. She dashed up and quietly exited her room to find Klaus. It was a good thing his door was unlocked and she found him, huddled under the covers, a shaking mess.

“Klaus?”

The lump moved. She stepped closer, avoiding all the mess of the art trinkets he had nicked from the classroom. A glue-gun, some large needles and even a soldering iron, there were piles of unfinished crochet work everywhere; all in tiny hills and all were nearly done but were discarded before it could arrive at completion.

Klaus peeped an eye from the duvet as soon as she was at his bedside.

“You’re here?” he said drowsily, his eyes were red but there was no indication around the room that he had been smoking or had taken any pills.

The room was dark except for the corner that had a little night light.

“Yeah, are you alright?”

“No.” He said softly as he opened the covers, an invitation for her to step in. Vanya took a seat and he immediately breaks away from the blanket, showing his red and puffed face. They sat in a comfortable silence, Klaus reached for her hand, it was sweaty but she let him. He looked like her really needed it.

“Are they still here” she asked, after her phone started vibrating again.

“Yeah, but they don’t come near when someone’s with me. Usually, Ben’s the one helping me out but you know I can’t just bother him all the time.”

A small smile graced her face, “So you try to replace him with me?”

He let out a soft laugh and winked at her. “Damn you found me out.”

There was another silence.

“Klaus?”

“Hmm?”

“You and I have never been close, why now?”

In the darkness, his still form was frozen, just staring at the opposite end of the room. When he doesn’t answer right away, her nerves start to get the best of her.

“I’m sorry, I asked, shit…I shouldn’t have aske – “

She stopped when Klaus squeezed her hand. “Never realized how similar we are you know.”

Vanya doesn’t say anything. This prompted him to continue.

“You and me, sometimes Ben. Dad doesn’t particularly like us – for one reason or another. I was scared of my ghosts while you were scared of being left alone. When you got up from that table, to follow Five outside before he did something stupid, I guess it woke something in me too. You were willing to fight for our brother, especially after what _he_ had done to him. You, little Vanya who would be punished just for caring for someone other than yourself, ran out the room, not caring that he was ordering you to stop, knowing full well that hellfire would rain on you the moment you step back inside. It was pretty brave. I would expect something like that from Diego, but not you…”

He looked her in the eye. “I thought, well, I was wrong about you. I always took comfort in the fact that even if, I was virtually useless in a fight, compared to you…well. Anyway, he always taught us, it was all man for himself no matter the _‘team’_ bullshit he tries to ingrain in his lessons. Yet, there you were facing up against our father, who is quite literally the devil and then I realized, why should I respect someone like _him; he ruined our lives_ and it would be a cold day in hell before I cower in fear in front of him again.”

Klaus took a breath, “Besides, if sweet little Vanya is able to do it? Why can’t I?”

She pursed her lips and her feet tapped on the carpeted floor. Her eyes wandered around the room and realized, it was the first time she was ever let in here. The room was small, almost as small as hers. It was not as colorful as Allison but it had personality. With a lot of trinkets here and there, a few bottles tossed to the side.

“You’re not drinking again are you?”

“I’m giving sobriety a try.” He laughed. “You can see that the idea is somewhat kicking me in the ass.”

Gesturing to the crocheted piles and little popsicle sticks in the corner, looking to be in the middle of being constructed into a house.

She laughed softly as the night light blinked.

_Huh, Weird._

Klaus didn’t seem bothered by it of course.

“I’m glad Klaus, I’m very glad.” She squeezed his hand. Her phone rang again, the annoying vibration tickling her thigh from her pocket. She reached into her pocket, taking out her LG C2500 and found a barrage of texts from Lila’s number.

“Ooh, you have a phone? Cool? Who’s calling you? A boy?”

He was back to his somewhat regular disposition.

“No, it’s my friend.”

“Really, what is this person doing calling you so late sister mine?”

Klaus couldn’t keep a secret to save his life, but could she really leave him after their little talk? He mistook her silence for something else and tried to amend it, looking down sheepishly.

“Sorry, It’s not my business – “

“I’m going to tell you something, but you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone alright?”

Taking his silence for ‘yes’ she continued “I’m going somewhere…”

He quirked a brow as a proud smile takes over his face, he then shakes it away and feigns disappointment - for the heck of it, he even clicks his tongue.

“first you stand up against dad, then you smuggle us junkfood he would never approve of? and now you want to sneak out in a ridiculous show of teen rebellion? What is the extent of your change dearest Vanya?” he joked “Well, it’s about time, don’t ‘cha think?”

“Oh stop it.” Playfully covering his face with her palm. “My friend is waiting for me outside Griddy’s, and I have to get out now. Are you going to keep this between you and me; essentially becoming my hostage for the night or do I have to kill you to assure your silence?”

On the offer of a night out, Klaus all but beamed. He nodded excitedly and went towards his closet and changed into a blue sweater, the Academy insignia was stitched out to be replaced by a raggedy red heart that may or may not be something he had done himself.

She looked away when he started pulling down his pajama bottoms to change into some warm slacks.

They went through the fire escape outside Vanya’s window and met Lila who was tapping her foot impatiently.

“Took you long enough.” She snapped. “Who’s this?” gesturing to Klaus.

“My brother, Lila this is Klaus, Klaus, Lila.”

The girl sized him up, with her brother having an easy smile on his face as he faced her friend.

“Pleasure.” She eventually said before spinning around and marching off towards their destination.

“She’s friendly.” Klaus muttered.

The walk was fast, with Klaus occasionally making a comment about the alley cats they passed or the deepening night and what lurked in the darkness. Lila was somewhat amused with the way she sometimes snorted when he cracked a joke, it was easy feeling comfortable around Klaus. He was such a lively person cursed with such an ironic gift.

The hangout was in a secluded part of the city, inside an abandoned tunnel. There were graffitis’ on the wall with music and people socializing around them. Vanya spotted two groups having a showdown, with the crowd egging them on.

They wadded around the crowd until they found Tim, catching him as he was talking to someone and waving at them once they were in view.

It was as if the awkward encounter from that day had not happened, he still had the handsome, boyish smile directed at her and Vanya returned the gesture.

The night was pretty awesome, she had a lot of fun but also remembered to keep an eye on her guest, in case he started doing something he might regret. Vanya had the best time, she got to hang out with her friends, got to know another brother other than Ben and Five, plus it was liberating to be out of the house during the night.

She always knew her brother was a sociable person but watching him interact with people, it let out a different side to him. He was smiling so much, his easy-going persona making him an awesome person to hang out with.

_If you’re constantly surrounded by the dead, who could blame you if you revel in the presence of the living?_

* * *

When they got home, it was around 3:00 in the morning, Klaus was happily singing a very bad rendition of ‘Sweet Caroline’ with Tim. The boys were a few paces ahead of them, hands swinging wildly and having too much energy for people who had approximately 3 hours of sleep left.

“Your brother’s weird.” Lila stated beside her, hands stuffed inside a faded cardigan. “I’ve never met anyone so…so…” she raises her hands, thrusting it in the direction where her brother was now skipping happily.

“Klaus?” she offers for her.

“Yeah, so Klaus.” There is a moment of silence, only the echoed howling of a dog to the sound of the two boys awful singing is heard. "I've never met anyone who embodied his name to a T."

 _Well, there's no argument there._ Vanya puffed out a breath, shaking her head and a small smile gracing her face.

“If the rest of your family is anything like him, well…” She bumps her shoulder with hers, “God help the world when the Fedrova children are unleashed on it.”

 _You have no idea_.

The group separated just outside where they had met earlier; Lila giving her and Klaus a hug and Tim, shaking her brother's hand as he offered a dimpled smile to her, the apples of his cheeks a bright pink. As they retreated to the alley that would take them back to the Academy, Klaus nudged her shoulder, gesturing behind him at a waiting Tim as he watched the two siblings disappear in the darkness.

Vanya frowned at him but didn't say anything.

They climbed the fire-escape up to her room, Vanya going first with Klaus boosting her up. An awkward silence envelops them the moment they step inside. Vanya fiddled with the end of her sweater, her lips set in a thin line. Klaus was rubbing the back of his neck, unsure of what to say.

“I had a great time tonight, Van.” He mumbled. “So ugh, I guess, I’ll shove off now…”

He makes his way to the door. “Good night, Vanya.

His moves are sluggish as he says this, and something tells her that he’s not all too keen on returning to his most probably, ghost-infested room. It takes her a few seconds but she blurts out.

“You can stay here, if you want? Just until day-break?”

He turns quickly as if relieved to hear this, maybe even expecting it.

“Really? THANK YOU!”

Her eyes widen as she reminds him to keep it down. He runs out to his room and changes into his pajamas. Vanya herself gets into her standard Academy sleep-wear, and he comes back a few minutes later with a crocheted bunny.

“For you.” He says excitedly as he climbs into the space beside her, it’s cramped but Klaus seemed to thrive in it, liking that there was another body; a alive body right beside him rather than the cold of a spirit asking for help.

“Klaus.” Amazement in her voice. “This is so cute.” Vanya gushes, playing with the ears, that were so floopy.

“I’ve made one for all of us but yours is the one I was able to finish first.” he admitted sheepishly.

“Well, it’s wonderful and I absolutely love it, and the others will too, when they're done of course”

He practically glows with her compliments, a sincere smile on his face; cutely looking down and mumbling his thanks.

A thought suddenly crosses her mind. She’s torn whether to say it or not because of how unsure her brother would react to it. Throughout her time in school, she had come to realize a kind word from anyone, a little encouragement could go a long way. Her father never really gave it to any of them and she suspects it’s because that’s the only way the old man can keep them on a leash.

_After all, when you're too busy chasing others approval, you’re often blinded to your own worth._

She made up her mind, “Klaus.” Vanya started, “I want you to know, I’m proud of you.”

He suddenly freezes, brown eyes look at her curiously.

“I know my word means nothing because in the end it’s up to you, but we love you Klaus even if sometimes you don’t see it. You’re strong, even if you don’t believe it. Even if dad tells you that you aren’t worth shit in missions you still fight and comfort the victims before help arrives. Your strength is your heart and I know its strong enough to beat this addiction and become more than what dad has dictated you to be.”

She held her breath, waiting for him to shout at her to mind her own business but instead, arms go around her and a kiss is placed on her forehead.

“Thanks Vanya, I really – ” He sniffs, holding back tears. “I really, appreciate it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a bizz writing this, so many things have been cut and re-arranged from the og outline :< I'm not sure when I could update again but I'll try my best to finish this at least before Christmas.


	4. Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five and Vanya are fighting (?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! How are all of you today? I hope you're all happy, healthy and living your best life! If it's a bit hard these days, I hope this will be the beginning of all the good things for you:> So, this is the second to the last chapter and I want you all to know that I'm so grateful that you have stayed this long for this fic. I can't promise when the next one is coming out because if I'm honest with all of you, my outline is all messed up and I already have a glimpse of how it's all going to end but it might take a while considering school and responsibilities. Who knows, the writing light might shine upon me and before Christmas you'll all get the final chapter! but I can't promise anything :<

If she had known inviting her brother who needed comfort to rest in her bed until he was fine would cause this much trouble, she wouldn’t have even considered it. Five had found her and Klaus later that morning, crocheting little bonnets. Lounging on the bed, chatting.

With his ruffled hair and crumpled pajamas, he looked much like the 16 - year-old teenager he was supposed to be, rather than Reginald’s genius soldier. Vanya smiled at him from her seat, ready to put their little misunderstanding they had behind them.

“Ah, Five.” Klaus greeted. “Don’t you look handsome on this fine morning.”

The pair were sitting against the window with a roll of yarn in front as her other brother tried to teach her how to do the base of a small cap. Flashing his piercing gaze between the two of them, he huffed and disappeared in an electric blue light.

“He doesn’t seem to happy.”

Klaus clicked his tongue, hands working on making a loop. “Eh, he’s not a morning person.”

_Vanya knew that full well…but he wasn’t that much of a sharing person either._

Absentmindedly nodding but a whisper in her head said that this was just the beginning of something.

Her guest stuck around for another fifteen before tiptoeing back to his own room before their mom would make her rounds. He gave her a big hug (he was a touchy-feely person she discovered) and pattered off to his room.

* * *

She went to school as usual, met her friends by the gate and did her homework. All week she was constantly bothered by the look Five had given her when he found her and Klaus, mixed in with the overly polite way he would address her. Sure, he still went to her room and they’d talk but there was a certain boundary that for the life of her, she couldn’t pinpoint what the cause was.

_“Five”_

_“Hmm..”_

_“Are you angry with me?”_

_“No? why’d you think that?”_

_Then there was the silence_

It was the same thing over and over again. Her brain told her to leave it be, unless she wanted him to blow a fuse and go off on her, which was what she was trying to avoid. And Five often didn’t understand the impact of his words so she kept quiet. Knowing that if he said his venom to her, maybe this time she wouldn’t be too forgiving.

Every time Ben, Five and Vanya were out in the courtyard, he’d sit on the other side of Ben, when in normal circumstances he’d take a seat beside her. Ben tried his best (bless his heart) in the breaking ice but it was all for nothing because Five was not in the mood to talk.

“Mind telling me what’s going there?” he asked after Five excused himself to bother Grace into making a sandwich.

“I don’t know.” Feigning ignorance. Ben was not impressed but shrugged his shoulders.

Vanya pursed her lips. “I get why he’s angry but I had never thought that it could get this bad.”

Ben raised his brows, gesturing her to go on.

So she told him, rather half of it. Vanya omitted the part where she escaped with Klaus to some dingy part of New York. As she explained everything, the boy merely nodded – lips set in a pout as he took in her words.

“So…what do you think?”

His gaze snapped back at her in confusion. “Really? You don’t get why he’s angry?”

A tick appeared on her right eye brow. “I wouldn’t ask you if I did, would I, Ben?”

His passive expression morphed into something that of exasperation and then annoyance and finally, amusement. “You know what Van? I’m just going to let the two of you figure it out.

This of course infuriated her more. She couldn’t ask Allison, and Luther and Diego are a definite no. Her question was laughed at by Klaus and in all honesty, Vanya was at her wits' end.

Along with the Five/Allison drama, her grades were not as stellar as she had hoped, partly because her practices were taking up too much of her time. She always came home exhausted and moody which she could not express lest someone find out about her secret activities.

All week her schedule has just been her buzzing around. Her new responsibilities were throwing her on an endless loop of to and fro from meetings, study sessions and departmental practical evaluations, which were a pre-practical exam depending on what your department major is.

As she sat waiting for Tim to finish, her head felt as if it was being pulled apart on two separate ends, hands were clammy and sweaty while her feet were cold under her socks. Something was wrong about her, her blazer was heavy on her shoulders, feeling like an arctic penguin, despite it almost covering her whole frame, freezing air still made its way inside. Vanya wasn’t a sickly person per se (aside from her medication and youth sickness) but ever since school she always felt burnt out more so than usual, experiencing headaches and bouts of nausea at the most inappropriate times. When she wasn’t too busy running around the large school, one would find her curled up on the side of the dance studio sleeping.

She was rated for practical evals as being first in line, impressing the teachers with a composition from Vivaldi.

The time read one-fifteen. It had only been three minutes since Tim had entered the exam room and her hope that he would finish fast was diminishing each second. There was a short oral interview before they had to start playing and whoever planned for the practical evaluations to be this long should be stuffed inside a meat freezer with only a thin shirt and board shorts because that’s how she felt like at the moment.

“Miss Fedrova.” An airy, authoritative voice called.

Her eyelids were heavy, forcing enough strength to look up. Mrs. Dalton was looming over her with the same smile she greeted her during the first day.

After her few months at the school, Vanya took note that Mrs. Dalton was _peculiar._ Normally she loved her quirky outfits and style choices but until recently the woman was always around her, or her group of friends. Alarmingly taking a liking towards the young Hargreeves’ girl.

Always greeting her in the hallway, _coincidentally_ being outside of the practice room as they were finishing up, almost anywhere she was. It was fine at first, but with the increasing incidents of her ‘ _bumping’_ into the woman, suspicion was nipping at her.

“Mrs. Dalton.”

“You don’t look to good.” Voice airy and vibrating through her head.

Resisting the urge to squeeze her head and moan in pain, her head felt heavy with water as she gave her a half-hearted nod.

“Do you need to go to the clinic?”

Although she was seeing double, steel determination stopped her from gushing out the contents of her stomach, really not wanting to see the avocado salad a second time.

A strong stench of roses wafted from Principal Dalton’s direction. Pleasing from afar but sickening from close range.

“No, Ma’am I’m fine. I'm just waiting for a friend.” Pulling her coat closer, hoping that she would leave her alone.

Unfortunately, she did not take the hint to leave. Instead, taking it as a sign to occupy the seat next to her, roses assaulted her senses, making Vanya gag with the smell. It irritated her nose, tempting her to look away and violating her expensive past tutor’s stringent social etiquette lessons. Mrs. Wicker and her long stick were a very formidable pair, the amount of times she had to ice her hands because they were bruised from her ‘discipline’ was appalling.

“Are you sure? You look as if a strong wind could knock you out my dear.” Without her consent, Mrs. Dalton grabbed her face, red lacquered nails pressing the hard tips on the soft apples of her cheeks, squeezing just enough to make an indention on the skin.

“You’re very skinny too, shame you could have been very pretty if you had a little meat to you.”

There was silence. “…I’m kidding darling. So serious, you’re just like Lila had described.”

This piqued her curiosity. Realization dawning on her

“You’re Lila’s mother?” she asked bluntly, receiving a condescending laugh.

“Ah, you are a delight. To answer your question, yes I am Lila’s mother but we just keep that between us.”

“I see.”

Thankfully she let go of her as the compressing hold of her nails released her cheek. The marks that she left are raw and Vanya reached up her hand to soothe the ache.

“Your mother says you have a special medicine for that illness of yours?” Mrs. Dalton inquires.

“Yes I do.” Vanya replies stiffly, suddenly protective of the knowledge that Lila might have told the woman of her skipping doses and in turn might lead Grace to tell on her father.

“Ah, that’s good. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to such a bright student of ours.”

“That’s very flattering coming from you Mrs. Dalton.”

Something flashes in the older woman’s eye. “Oh, it’s just little old me.” giving a non-commital wave. “Besides, you have improved a lot since your enrollment here last September. We might make a star out of you, yet.”

“Do take care of yourself, dear. My daughter is quite fond of you.

* * *

Even if she had her education from another place, it did not excuse her, of course, from Saturday classes. A long time ago she was happy at the idea of being included with her siblings; side by side learning all the modules together with them but beside a stewing Five, talkative Klaus and a weirdly irritated Allison she’d considered being safer inside her room than at classes with her siblings.

With the side eye given to her by Allison from her spot by Diego, she figured that by the way Allison was stabbing at the molding clay with earnest, and occasionally mumbling something about ‘unfair’ it had to do something with her.

Shuddering at the thought, she stared down at her own shapeless mass of clay. Klaus had convinced everybody to spend today’s free period in whatever artsy stuff he cooked up (after he guilt tripped everyone with the crocheted dolls).

After much deliberation, it was a vote: 4 to 3 – sculpting or no sculpting, and that’s how they ended up digging through the materials at the back end of the room.

For the most part everyone was having a good time. Luther was making a wonky rocket ship, Diego something between a cat-bear-rabbit thing, Allison was acting the part of the monster in scream, Klaus and Ben were having a collaboration between them; Ben doing the little bodies of the animal while Klaus was doing the painstakingly meticulous job of doing the little faces. Five on the other hand was idly painting a saucer.

 _Not one for the arts then_ she thought.

It was starting to irritate her on how petty he was. There was nothing wrong with letting Klaus stay with her that ONE time! For Christ sakes, it was hypocritical for him to throw the ‘you can’t just have a random boy sleeping in your bed’ when in fact, since their younger days he was the random boy always sleeping in her bed!

Unknowingly squeezing the stem of the flower bouquet she was molding and essentially ruining her work. She cursed under her breath, suddenly wishing he would just let go of his stupid anger.

Playing mental tennis with her brain, going back and forth whether she just confront him was tiring, especially when he would he would sigh very, very loudly every two seconds. When she’d look at his direction which was _so not_ what he wanted. Five would click his tongue and do it all over again.

“Alright.” She whispered, at her wits end. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong Vanya.” He replied monotonously. Eyes blank as he pushed away his finished product.

“Five, I swear your worse than Lila on her period.” She huffed, trying her best to reason with him. Ben who was closest to him, perked up. Clearly someone was listening on them.

“Well, as you so clearly prefer her over me. Please do not use her name and mine in a sentence ever again.”

Of all the answers, that was the _stupidest and pettiest thing_ that had ever come out of his mouth. She took a calming breath. Trying her best to formulate a reply that wasn’t a pterodactyl screech.

“Are you hearing yourself right now.” Exasperation evident in her tone. “Five what the hell.”

Ben, who was nudging Klaus from listening in but he himself was subtly moving his chair towards the two of them.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.” He snapped, louder this time. Making the others move their head towards them.

“What’s got you so angry?” she accused, very tired of his bullshit.

“Nothing, what’s got YOU so angry?”

She was very tempted to wring his neck, hoping the lack of oxygen might return his brain back to the usual genius it normally would be. As she was readying her hands, a screech of a chair is heard and all their eyes turned to the direction of Allison.

“God, stop it. You know he’s been horrendous since you started fighting.” Allison folded her hands in her chest. “Why is it when something that inconveniences the Academy happen, it’s always you that’s the root of it, Vanya.”

“Not cool, Allison.” Diego muttered from his work.

Luther’s expression is befuddled as he tried to discern that Diego had opted to defend the sibling he’d always been vocal about hating.

“What, I need my supply of those strawberry candies and she’s the only source of it.”

Allison shakes her head in confusion, brows furrowed and mouthing a soft ‘unbelievable’

“Anyway, I don’t get why you’re still here Vanya, don’t you receive already enough education in your normal school?”

Vanya froze up, unsure of what to say. That’s just how all their conversations went so far. The hostility from Allison was more on the nose than it ever was. For the longest time she was docile towards the increasing anger her sister was exhibiting and true enough she was ready to chew her off as well.

As she was gearing up the acid that was about to spew from her mouth.

“Listen Allison…” She started, trying to puff out her shoulders to make up for her short stature, which was nothing compared to the stately form of her sister. “Ever – “

Grace stepped into the room, walking briskly with a stack of books in her arms. Diego immediately went to help her. A kindly smile was on the android’s face as she told everyone that they could finish their projects in the afternoon. Vanya sat back down, trying to calm herself while Allison did not look sorry at all. If anything she became all the more moody, only acknowledging Luther.

What hurt her more than her sister’s cutting words was the way Five didn’t even say anything. He was always the person she believed would always be in her corner. Whatever was up his ass was definitely jammed up so hard it said hello to his brain.

Since he wanted to be such a baby; she decided it wasn’t worth it to be around him when he clearly didn’t want her anywhere near him.

After lunch it was training for her siblings while she was left to her own devices.

Under the tree in the courtyard, she had all her stuff spread out. Papers, clips, stapler and a collection of pencils. For the better part of the day, she had started doing a few math exercises. Looking at the numbers though she is once again reminded by her predicament and gets irritated again. Half-way through the ordeal and many chewed off pencils later, she moved her work to the inside of the house, hoping the new scenery would help her think.

While in her new situation, it yielded a bit of progress in the relationship between her and some of her siblings.

Allison and Five were not very receptive of any of it.

Five still wasn’t talking to her and preferred to stay sequestered up in his room doing god knows what. It’s not like he had anything more to do considering that his life-long dream of time-travelling had already been fulfilled.

One time she even tried to bribe him with a fluffernutter sandwich which he TOOK and then closed the door on her face.

She walked away, not sure how to react to it.

While her schooling was going through a loop, with the talent show moving closer, that also didn’t stop Mrs. Dalton from being creepy around her. She knew she couldn’t tell anyone for the reason of them taking that as a sign that she wasn’t safe and might possibly pull her out of the school and next, no one might believe her considering how well-liked the woman was by the rest of her peers.

Maybe she was overreacting?

Lila was her daughter and in her dance squad, she wasn’t doing anything wrong?

Ugh, everything was confusing her so much. In a normal situation, she’d usually have Five to talk to and he would provide her with some good albeit sometimes extreme advice but that’s just who he was. The way he trashed - talked about the others with the blank look on his face - she missed that but since he was not his best self, might as well just keep her distance for a while.

The violin was a welcome weight on her shoulder, it was the normalcy she needed for the stuff that was happening in that moment. Her fingers swiftly playing ‘Violin Concerto in B minor, Op.35’ by Rieding, hoping to let the music take her away for a moment. Playing has always been the most comfort she had in a house that basically outcasted her since she could remember. The violin saw her through thick and thin, and she will always be thankful for that. Now that she was able to enjoy other things; it made her realize there was more for her out there than playing inside a closet-sized room. She loved talking to people, making connections, dancing, writing, almost anything presented to her in the outside. There she was treated like everyone else, not like the runt of the ever powerful Hargreeves clan.

The room seemed to disappear as she played the piece with so much emotion. Frustration, anger and hurt all faded away as the tune took her to another world. A world where only she existed. No nagging siblings, no painful past; just her and the violin, making their way through hardships that they could only defeat together. A strong pulsing circled the room, as if all the furniture was dancing along to the same tune. Energy flowed around her, and it was like a tempting hand whispering for her to follow it; see what it could do. What magic lies ahead if she just reached out to touch it.

“Miss Vanya.” Pogo’s familiar voice said.

She turned to see the chimp. He was smiling from the doorway, in his usual formal uniform.

“Pogo, you’re back!” she smiled.

Pogo and Reginald were away for a week taking care of business. Sure, her father’s overbearing presence was not missed but Pogo’s warm fatherly way of treating her was. It was a known fact, that Reginald never wanted to be a father nor did he have the capabilities for it, so it fell on his ‘assistant’ of sorts shoulders to raise 7 super powered children aside from the teachings they learned on how to essentially kill in the most efficient way they can.

They had social studies the other day and it seemed the Hargreeves Family was near if not already a cult.

_No tolerance for questions_

_The leader is the ultimate authority_

_Unreasonable fear of the outside world_

These are just some of the stuff that checks out.

_Hargreeves Doomsday cult._

Sounds about right.

“I see you have improved your playing.” He complimented, gesturing to her violin. “Sir Reginald was wrong then in the assumption that an arts school would only hinder your potential.”

Her mouth hung open. “You made him let me go to school?”

“Ah, No.” walking into the room. “I merely convinced him, I believe there is so much talent in you to just have it be heard here in the Academy.”

Her frown morphed into a huge smile as she put down her violin and lunged at the chimp, nearly toppling them both over but she didn’t care. He smelled of citrus and his soft fur tickling her cheek as she nuzzled herself on his neck.

“Thank you.” She cried. “I have no words but thank you.”

A kind laugh from him before they pulled away, he tucked a pesky lock behind her ear and beamed brightly at her.

The father figure she had was a monkey, and what does that say about her character?

Staving off a laugh, she gave him a bright grin.

“Don’t thank me dear Vanya.” Pogo murmured. “You deserved a better education on your talent.”

A squeal bubbled in her throat, something she had learned from Lila. She pulled him again and hugged him close. After some catching up, Pogo wanted to hear her play so she readied her violin and asked for any requests.

The little concert lasted for half an hour before Pogo excused himself to get back to work. Spending some time with Pogo made her feel better despite the situation she found herself in.

* * *

Five would say that he was a dramatic person. It was just who he was, most of the time he was a dick and despite his efforts very much loved his siblings but they were very exhausting company. It was also the same with them to him; they found him impossible and vice-versa. Vanya was the only person who put up with the shit he would say and sometimes do.

When he found out about the whole arrangement with Reggie. Pissed was the mildest word he could muster, how dare the old man alienate Vanya even more? Wasn’t putting her in pseudo-isolation not enough for him? Besides, Five was a possessive person. He had no shame admitting it because he mostly disliked lying, especially if said statement was a known universal fact. It made him guilty at times that he was hogging her attention. He tried to remedy this by hanging with Ben and sometimes all three of them together but like a little dragon hoarding his gold, he often found ways to pull her away from the rest of them. Squirreling them in either her room or his. Just talking or napping.

Vanya was non - the wiser or at least that’s what he believes.

Soon she started being busy doing other things. Making projects, writing essays or working on her violin (which of course were normal things for her even back then but now it didn’t include him). Five missed being around her. To be next to her while she gave him those rare ‘Are you amused’ sarcastic smiles of hers.

Damn, what was happening to him?

He had never acted this way towards anything. Take away his toys? Fine, but expect a few pranks courtesy of him, Pogo making him repeat his drills because of misbehaving? He’ll suck it up like he always does but take Vanya away? No. No way. He would not have it.

Just as he was pulverizing his snacks inside the kitchen with Ben. Luther comes in, a prominent frown on his face and no Allison in sight.

“Hey Luther.” Ben greeted for them, making a sandwich for himself.

“Ben” the blonde greeted, then gave a stiff nod to Five. “Five.”

Five returned the gesture, attention still elsewhere.

“Where’s Allison?” Ben inquired, gesturing to one of the stools. Luther took it and started making himself a measly egg sandwich.

Pathetic.

“She’s with Klaus.” He mumbled into the bread. “She doesn’t want to see me right now.”

Five tuned out the conversation after that, not really caring after the “doesn’t want to see me comment.” And with the sad kicked puppy look on his brother’s face, the problem was pertaining to those of emotions. It's something he already has plenty of. He quietly nibbled on the misshapen bread until a comment caught his attention:

“- I mean she is going overboard with Vanya.”

His head swerved around, almost comically but the two other boys were too deep in their conversation to notice.

“I understand that she’s upset that Vanya is in School, she’s jealous that it wasn’t her that got the opportunity.” He said sadly. “But the times I had to pull her away from giving Vanya an unwarranted fight is just too...ugh”

Luther sighed, whole body deflating, leaning down with both hands holding his head as they were propped up on his thighs unsure of what to do.

A sixteen-year-old girl who was crazy jealous of her ‘younger’ sister?

It's basically a premise to a movie.

Five was jealous too, but not because he wanted to be in Vanya’s place. No, it was because a lot of things were changing for them and he couldn’t keep up. He missed their old routines. She was constantly mentioning this Lila-person or someone named Tim. And he felt threatened that she was going to forget him.

Allison on the other hand, wanted to be a people person. Constantly talking or having opportunities that not many of them had. She was seen as the face of the Academy, and sometimes did some guesting at T.V interviews alone or maybe, when Reggie was in a better mood, let her be an extra in a Disney movie. For the most part, Allison had the most freedom out of all of them. Five could see where her jealousy stemmed from, considering he and his sister were more alike than they thought. Both were arrogant in their own way and protective of things dear to their heart.

_Vanya for him and Allison with her want of always being ahead._

She almost felt sorry for Luther as he pouted and stared off into the distance. He’s been doing that a lot too. Now that he had primarily Ben for company, he was too proud to apologize. 

There were only a few instances and even fewer people he had apologized in his young life. It was mostly to Vanya and and the one time he broke Diego's leg. It was an accident that involved an eight year old not realizing that training did not equate playtime. He wanted to try out a new move and it was not executed properly.

Vanya was and has always been his choice sibling and he couldn’t stand being away from her nor leaving her while she had a hard time. Pitifully hiding beside the doorframe, he watched her agonize over a Calculus assignment in the living area. He couldn’t find it in himself to leave her to her when he could solve the problem in a quarter of a second. As soon as she threw down the pencil to probably get some water and have some space for she had shown to be near throwing the piece of paper on the fire pit, Five jumped to the area where she was working in and solved a fairly easy (at least for him) integral calculus worksheet. For the most part her answers were correct, she was just careless in some points. He was willing to help her but then again, they were still fighting.

Hands swiftly worked on solving the paper, figures flying past him and landing on the sheet as his mind worked double time due to the stress of having Vanya catch him. He was just too proud to admit that he couldn’t take to leaving her alone, especially when she needed him the most.

Until recently he had begun having feelings he couldn’t understand for her. The way her lip curled when she thought he was doing something ridiculous (a habit she already had but had grown to do more often since the beginning of her schooling), the shy smiles and the sarcastic quips did something to his heart. It would flutter as if a flock of winged insects were flying about his stomach, making him feel all fluttery and weird. His palms would sweat up and in a room, his eyes would always look for her first.

It was blurry when his feelings for Vanya started to change. Maybe it was when he decided that she was far more interesting to him than most his siblings, how she would unconditionally listen to all his little whims and dreams. It wasn’t just because she was useful to him, it was like that in the beginning but now, he was just so used to her and in a way…loved her for her selflessness. The way they protected and supported each other. That they were each other’s go to person when the going got tough. How they knew what each other was thinking without even speaking. Their inside jokes

_Oh God, was he **really** in love?_

Would that explain the little flips his heart would make around her? Or the way he had to school his face to an impassive expression just to make sure he wouldn’t smile at her all the time like a moron?

Vanya was so special to him. Whenever he would imagine a life outside the Academy, he would always picture the same brown haired girl there with him. Back then he couldn’t really see a role he could name, all he knew was that she would be there. They would go to the schools of their dreams together, have fights for stupid things, adopt an animal or two since she always raved about having a cat and him a dog. He could never understand why she specifically stated she wanted those weirdly spaced eye ones that looked like they could see in both directions. Perhaps try to buy a house together.

Wait, what was he thinking? He was sixteen for goodness sakes’ what business did he have about planning an elaborate future. Might as well embrace it now. He had a feeling that whatever relationship any of them would have after the Academy would more than likely be a bust. He wasn’t one to spend his time working on something that would end in fire and smoke. Also, he already liked Vanya

_So to recap_

  1. _He was a prideful little shit._
  2. _His life is a hot-mess._
  3. _He was an idiot who until he fixed his relationship with Vanya would end up alone watching some Discovery re-runs for the rest of his life._



But they had never fought this long before, though he must admit Vanya’s new feisty attitude made him feel a little proud. Besides the girl practically ruined his whole sleeping pattern, that one time Klaus had hogged up his space, he had twisted and turned in his own bed, not used to being alone.

He really had it bad, huh?

Well, Five Hargreeves either embraced a whole situation or he’d avoid it entirely. And right now, he picked the first.

Trying to talk to Vanya after a huge fight was harder than he had originally thought. His pride was just barring him too much from just walking up to her and say ‘hey, Vanya. I’m sorry for being an asshole. I hope you forgive me, also I think I love you!’

How does one go about something like this?

At first he thought about going to Ben but then he already knew too much of his business. Klaus was fighting his own battle and then Diego and Luther…no more explanation there and then comes Allison, who is not in the best of moods nor wants to even talk about Vanya.

When the whole argument in the classroom happened, he didn’t want to come out so bitter. It was just his foot trying to feed itself in his mouth again. Or maybe the curling serpent of jealousy curling deep in his gut when she mentioned _Lila_.

He scrunched his nose at the thought of someone he had never met but irrationally disliked.

If he had a dollar for every time he had camped out of Vanya’s door, hand at the ready to knock, he’d always change his mind at the last moment. (he was scared and he wasn’t afraid to admit it, considering Vanya’s rejection was one of his greatest nightmares.)

Guilt ate up at him when he didn’t even look up to defend her from Allison’s verbal attack. He would most likely say something that would fuel his diva sister’s anger and her wrath would be directed at both of them. Feeling helpless as her little pink lips quivered but her determination not to be put down was evident in her big brown eyes. When class ended he didn’t even have the time to ask her to talk to him when she swiftly got up and bounded out of the room, hair in a ponytail swishing back and forth behind her.

Throwing all his energy into training was all he could do to get his mind out of blinking over to her room and apologizing.

He’d find a way to fix it up with her…he just needed a chance.

* * *

Being covered in giant octopus’ slime wasn’t the best look. The car smelled horrendous considering the Academy had to fight it from under the sewers. It was some kind of mutant that escaped a laboratory. It was as big as a farm house and with hard and thick tentacles. It had dark purple color and green bulbs on its skin that expelled pus, which was also acid, obvious with the many pipes melted they saw under the city.

It was only Ben who could subdue it in the end, just in time for Luther to inject a serum that would return it to its original smaller size before some wacko scientist did their distasteful tests on sea creatures.

The thing was currently swimming around in the mason jar on Diego’s lap with Klaus trying to ridiculously tap on the glass.

“Stop it.” Diego groused. “You’ll make it sick.”

But of course his other brother simply ignored him, hands still on the glass scaring the cephalopod so much that it had ejected ink from its siphons. Clearly very afraid of his idiot brother and the many ways he could unintentionally kill it before they even reached the manor

With Luther commandeering the front seat, he just had to play his god awful music. Ben was on Five's other side, leaning on the tinted window. Looking green as could be.

“Is-is that Vanya.” Suddenly perked up and eyes trained to the image outside the car.

He looked up to find his _crush (he was still getting used to that word.)_ was in the side walk, a tall boy in a familiar looking uniform, leaning down towards a small girl with the same uniform. Straight brown hair flying in the wind and her small form frozen in place. It was like time stood still as he blinked to where Luther sat, nearly scaring the tall boy enough to punch a hole through the roof of the car. Uncaring for personal space and the gooey disgusting feel of the slime melding together as he leaned closer to his brother’s side. The car swerved as the driver tried to regain control of the vehicle as all of the passengers let out a shout of surprise either in the form of ‘Christ on a stick’ ‘Five, what the hell!’ ‘are you trying to get us all killed?’ or simply ‘were all gonna die’

Through the window, he could see that it was indeed Vanya. His heart sank as he saw the boy she was with come even closer and she didn’t even step back, not to be outmaneuvered he grabbed the wheel (stupid but he couldn’t care less) and honked. Of course, this made another round of expletives come out of his comrades’ mouth, cursing him out.

He reached over to the window and wheeled it down, sticking out his head and showing his masked face. He was sure even through the white patches of where his eye sockets should be, his glare was understood along with furrowing of his thick brows made it a clear statement that he wasn’t amused.

The culprits watched him as the car sped past, mouths hanging open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe, I hope you are all happy and smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it, please leave a comment or kudos cuz it makes me smile :>


End file.
